Under The Cover Of Darkness
by OhCaptain
Summary: Maria is plagued at night by dreams of the Captain...
1. Chapter 1

It was late and Maria was getting ready for bed. As she dressed in her nightgown, she thought about how quickly things had changed at the villa. On her first night there she had prayed that the von Trapps would become a happy family again and it seemed as though this was coming true. The Captain had reunited with his children and brought to visit his home the sophisticated and glamorous Baroness Schraeder. If rumour had it, they would soon announce their engagement and the children would have a mother again. In the house there was now music and singing, laughter and smiles; happiness all around.

But really, Maria thought as she got into bed, the biggest change she had seen was in the Captain himself.

_The Captain_. Maria sighed. She shook her head as she lay down. He was still a complete mystery to her. His initial strong, formidable, stern persona on the first day she met him intimidated her to begin with. Then later that evening when he discovered the children out of their beds and in her room, he infuriated her with not only the way he spoke to her, but his complete dismissal of the childrens' needs. So when he arrived back from Vienna, she was so angry with him for pushing his children away that she had spoken her mind without a second thought. He had been angry with her and she didn't blame him; she was far too outspoken, it was one of her worst faults. But the rate at which his anger disappeared when he heard the children singing amazed her. Then the gentleness and humility in his voice shortly after, when he apologized for his bad behaviour, touched her heart.

Maria felt the exhaustion of the day come over her and she started to drift off to sleep, the thoughts of the Captain lingering in her mind…

_Maria softly closed the door to Marta and Gretl's room, glad that it was the end of the day. While she loved the children very much, keeping up with seven of them all day was certainly tiring. Just one more stop, then she could turn in for the night._

_She quietly walked down the central staircase, and headed to the Captain's study. Every evening after the children were tucked in, she would provide him with a report on the children's schoolwork, and any issues she thought he should address himself._

_She softly knocked on the large, heavy wooden door, which was opened the slightest bit. Hearing him softly call, "come in," she pushed it a bit further and walked inside. The handsome Captain sat behind his massive, mahogany desk as usual, but this night he'd discarded his jacket and tie. _

_Maria suddenly was standing before him, and he rose from his chair. Their eyes met, eyes that acted as magnets to her own - she couldn't look away, it wasn't possible; and she could hardly breathe. _

_He took his hand, placing it on the back of her neck. She shivered at his touch, she'd never had a man touch her bare skin except to shake her hand. The Captain's fingers crept up into her hair, caressing the nape of her neck, causing her to shiver - but she wasn't cold. Far from, actually. There was an unfamiliar heat beginning to course through her veins. Unfamiliar, yet not at all unpleasant._

_With his other hand now on her waist, he pulled her closer, and softly set his lips down on hers. His kiss began softly, like the graze of a rose petal, gradually his mouth took on a delicious urgency, and Maria was lost in the things just his kiss was doing to her body._

_His hand crept up from her waist to her breast and began caressing her, through her thin, cotton, summer dress..._

Maria was rudely awakened by the bells of her alarm clock. After quickly silencing it, she lay back, her breathing heavy and rapid. She wasn't sure if it was from the jolt of the alarm, or the dream from which the alarm had stolen her. It wasn't the first time the Captain had appeared in one of her dreams but it was certainly the first one in which he'd kissed her. Or had she kissed him? The further into wakefulness she got, the fuzzier the memory became. The feelings of excited anticipation remained, however.

Knowing she'd best not continue to play her subconscious thoughts through her head any longer, she climbed out of bed and began getting ready for the day.

XxXxXxXxXx

Maria closed the door to the nursery and yawned. It had been another long day and she was grateful all the children were now asleep. After the excitement of performing the puppet show for the Captain, the Baroness and Herr Detweiler, the children were exhausted and she was too. She turned and started to slowly walk down the darkened corridor towards her room. Maria knew that she could have turned on a light but she didn't want to disturb the rest of the household. Besides, she now knew the way from the nursery to her room well enough that she didn't require a light on.

Maria yawned again as she entered her room and walked across to the other side, towards the open window. As she leaned out to close the window, she happened to glance down at the terrace below her and saw the Captain walking alone along the terrace below. She stood there motionless for minutes as she watched him. He walked at the pace of a slow stroll, hands clasp behind his back. His posture and his shoulders, once firm and straight, were now relaxed. Even his hair was not styled in such a stiff manner, now his dark, thick locks hung as slight waves over his brow. He fascinated her.

A man who was so passionate that the grief of losing his wife almost destroyed him. Yet he presented himself with such a hard, impenetrable exterior that Maria could hardly believe that he had a tender side. However seeing him now with his children, laughing and applauding at their puppet show, giving them congratulatory hugs at the conclusion, she began to see a new and different side to him, a side that intrigued her to find out more about him.

She had been surprised when, after the puppet show, the children had suggested their father might sing for them. Maria questioned them a second time before approaching the Captain with her guitar. He had been reluctant at first to indulge her request to sing but it wasn't until she pleaded with him that he had agreed. Maria remembered her surprise at first hearing his smooth baritone voice sing while he softly played the guitar. Mesmerized, she had leant back against the wall, taking in each note sung, relishing the melody he wove. Finally as the music concluded, he had looked up at her and his eyes met hers with a tenderness that called out to her soul. For in that instant, no one else seemed to exist except him and the way he looked at her.

Maria continued to watch the Captain down on the terrace. But just at that moment, the Captain stopped walking and looked up directly to her window, almost like he knew she was there watching him. Instinctively, Maria quickly stepped back from the window holding her breath, hoping he hadn't seen her. She was glad she had decided not to turn the light on in her room. Careful to not be seen, she briefly gave one final glance down to the Captain below. He was still looking up at her window, an expression of curiosity on his face. He paused for a moment before turning and heading back into the house.

Maria let out the breath she had been holding, thankful that he hadn't seen her. She shook her head in an attempt to rid all her thoughts of the Captain. Maria quickly got ready for bed: dressing herself in her nightgown and saying her nightly prayers.

Climbing into bed, Maria started mentally preparing something special for the children to perform at the party the Captain and the Baroness were planning to throw. It wasn't long, however before she was yawning again and feeling her eyelids starting to droop with tiredness.

Maria rolled over in bed, starting to go off to sleep. Thoughts of the Captain returned to her. His eyes: the cold, hard blue of his eyes, clearly irritated to find her snooping in the ballroom; the dark, wild blue of his eyes, angry at her honest outburst of concern about the children; the ways his eyes sparkled as he sung her praises at the conclusion of the puppet show; and the soft, deep blue of his eyes as he looked over at her as he finished singing Edelweiss. Maria involuntarily gave a shudder at the memory of how he looked at her at that moment. How his deep and piercing gaze locked with hers, causing her to feel that she could no longer breathe. Then how at that moment it felt like everything and everybody around them ceased to exist.

Sleep was now overtaking her. The last thing she remembered as she lost consciousness was his eyes, his deep blue eyes…

_Maria felt the coolness of the wall behind her, and was grateful it was there to hold her up. She could hardly breathe, the Captain's smooth baritone voice hypnotizing her so that the felt she was floating and falling at the same instant. His eyes, blue eyes, crystal clear pools through which she could see into his soul. He never took his eyes off her, and she sensed rather than saw him setting the guitar down, watching intently as he came toward her, arms outstretched, reaching out to take both her hands into his. He raised them both to his mouth, placing a tender, gentle kiss on each. _

_Somehow, the room had emptied and they were alone. The Captain pulled her closer, their bodies now in contact from shoulders to hip. His arms wrapped around her, so warm, so strong, and she melted more fully into his embrace. His lips captured hers with a hungry urgency. She was overcome at how soothing his kiss was, how all of the tension in her body was erased by the feel of his tongue brushing across her lips. She opened her mouth, and he swept inside, stroking her mouth to ecstasy._

_They now were naked, skin on skin, one of his hands cupping her breast, the other with a firm grip on her backside, massaging and squeezing. There was an unfamiliar ache beginning in that most sacred place between her legs, which grew warmer and wetter when the Captain placed his mouth on soft mound of her breast, his tongue licking and teasing the pink apex until it was erect, then moving to the other to do the same. This time he took the aching peak between his teeth, playfully suckling until Maria gasped._

_Her throbbing center now was crying out for his touch, she took his hand and placed it at the door of her womanhood. "Please," she whispered, the Captain bringing his mouth to hers once more, as he slipped a finger into her tight depths. She cried out, feeling her body turn inside out as he toyed with her most sensitive point. A second finger joined the first, and they danced inside her as she felt that strong, lovely sensation overtake her again..._

Maria awoke with a start; breathless and sweating. She was shocked to find her hand between her legs, her nightgown up around her waist, her panties pulled down and soaking wet.

Immediately, Maria threw back the bedcovers and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Switching on the light, she leant up against the door, trying to calm down her racing heart. Looking straight ahead, Maria saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror: hair disheveled, cheeks flushed, lips slightly swollen and parted as she was still somewhat breathless.

Maria quickly turned on the shower, discarded her nightgown and stepped under the running water. As the hot water beat down upon her head, she closed her eyes and leant back onto the cold tiles behind her. The vision she'd seen in her dream was still etched clearly in her mind. She'd never had a dream like that before; a dream like that about _him_, the Captain. Oh, it had seemed so real. She could almost feel the sensation of his lips upon hers, the tender caress on her breasts, the feeling of his hand between her legs… But it wasn't real, he was not with her, she had been alone. She was baffled to why she would have had such a dream about the Captain, about the Captain doing things to her that never in her wildest dreams would she…

_Oh help!_ What would he think of her if he knew what she had been dreaming about him? Maria wondered. He was a man who as good as being engaged to the Baroness and she was going to be a nun. How could she ever face him again knowing that she had been fantasizing about him? About being with him, that way?

Maria started to shake slightly even though the water in the shower was piping hot. Oh, what would the Sisters at the Abbey think of her if they knew she had been pleasuring herself while dreaming of the Captain? She was there to care for the children on God's errand but here she was, lusting after their father instead. He did intrigue her and there was no doubt how handsome he was, but Maria felt lost and confused. She knew that she needed guidance.

As she turned off the water and dressed in a fresh nightgown, Maria decided that tomorrow she would go to the Abbey to pray, and to seek counsel.

The following morning, Maria managed to get through breakfast by avoiding looking at the Captain directly. She would sneak a glance at him quickly, through the fringe of her bangs, or when he was speaking directly to a child, and she knew there was little chance of her eyes meeting his. She was still feeling a bit wobbly as a result of the dream she'd had. The young governess was also nervous about asking him for the afternoon off to visit the Abbey; she was sure she'd have to look at him during that conversation, and feared that he'd be able to see her nighttime thoughts on her face.

Liesl asked if the children could be excused from the morning meal, and as they filed out of the dining room, Maria stood to follow them up to the schoolroom. As she passed by her employer, she was stunned when she felt him reach out to grab her hand. She jumped and gasped in surprise.

"I'm sorry, Fraulein, I didn't mean to startle you," he apologized. "I just wanted to ask if you are feeling all right? You were uncharacteristically quiet this morning."

She scrambled to gather her thoughts before answering. "Oh, ah, yes, sir. I just have a few things on my mind." Maria paused, working up her courage. "Which brings me to ask you for the afternoon off? I'd like to seek counsel at the Abbey."

He replied with a surprisingly soft voice. "Of course, Fraulein. Is it the children? If they are giving you trouble…"

She was quick to interrupt him. "No, sir, not the children. They are delightful, and quite cooperative most times." She let her voice trail off, unsure of what to say; but certain she would not say anything of the real reason.

"Well, if I can do something to help, I'd be happy to. You can always come to me, Fraulein, for anything you need."

She looked down at their hands, which were still joined. Maria was afraid to break their physical connection, but was equally afraid not to. Slowly, she withdrew her hand from his, and immediately felt an emptiness in both her hand and her heart. Yes, she needed counsel at the Abbey. Desperately.

"Thank you, sir. I'll be on my way directly after lunch, then."

_**A/N: This story is a collaborative effort between utility - singer and charleybec. Check out our joint profile if you want to know more!**_

_**Please read and review, t**__**here will be more to come!**_

_**Disclaimer: We do not own anything TSOM or related.**_


	2. Chapter 2

Under Cover of Darkness ch 2

Leaving the Abbey at dusk, Maria slowly walked the several blocks back toward the stop where she'd get the bus out to the outskirts of Salzburg. The breeze was rather stiff, and clouds had begun to gather over the western sky, giving breaks here and there where the setting sun glowed through like embers in a fireplace log. She clutched her arms around her, wishing she'd thought to bring a sweater though it had been quite hot earlier when she'd made the trip into town.

She'd been hoping to speak to the Reverend Mother, seeking her counsel-and perhaps her absolution-regarding the dreams, and now the daydreams Maria had been having about Captain von Trapp. The dreams had started soon after his return from Vienna. At first, they were quite innocent really; dreams of him accompanying her and the children on outings, or of playing on the grounds of the villa.

Then she began dreaming of the two of them alone, and those too were innocent at first. A touch of the hand, a look, a shared laugh over something silly the children did. When those dreams began turning to reality during the day, her nighttime incursions took a different turn.

Maria had never been one for reading romance novels, or of seeing the types of movies others girls swooned over. Now, her imagination was working overtime during her slumber; the handsome Captain, calling her into his study, capturing her lips with his own. Other nights they'd be on the terrace, in the gardens, in the gazebo, at the lakeside-but always she woke up at his first touch, or kiss. And during her waking hours, now she was beginning to have those thoughts intrude, as well. Watching the children during their studies, or playing tag, or supervising the littlest girls at bath time, her thoughts would wander to their father. How handsome he looked in his suit each morning, how intriguing he was when he sat thoughtfully behind his newspaper, how alluring each evening, when he would come upstairs to say goodnight to the children.

None of it had worried her too terribly much, until the dream last night which had been, well, downright sinful. Maria had so hoped that the Reverend Mother could explain to her why she was having these thoughts; did it mean she shouldn't, or couldn't, be a nun? Was committing such a sinful act while one was sleeping just as bad as if one were awake? What could she do to stop them?

She had been terribly disappointed upon finding out the Mother was not even at the Abbey that day; she'd been summoned to Vienna for some reason Maria was not privy to. She did accept the offer of seeking solace and prayer on her own in the chapel, after attending the midday prayer service. The quiet contemplation following the singing of psalms and readings did help to set her mind at ease, and she had been assured that the Reverend Mother would enjoy a visit from her upon her return.

Maria had reached the bus stop, and waited for a few moments before realizing it was later than she'd thought, and the next one wouldn't arrive for nearly an hour. She sat down on a nearby bench and watched the clouds building, hoping the rain would hold off until the bus arrived. Never one to sit still for very long, she got back up, and began wandering up and down the block, looking at the gardens of the houses along the street. One particular landscape caught her eye, and when she looked closer she saw that the blue cornflowers that proliferated near the fence were nearly the same color as Captain von Trapp's eyes. Those eyes, oh, how she could get lost in them! Sometimes when he caught her looking at him, she'd look into his eyes and she could hardly breathe…

"Hello, Fraulein."

She jumped, unaware that anyone had been nearby. Maria knew who it was without even turning around; she knew because of the way her heart clenched and her stomach fluttered and her lungs stopped functioning.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. What were you daydreaming about?" The Captain asked. She turned and looked at him, and his expression changed ever so slightly.

"Are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost," he pressed, and she realized she'd not responded yet to anything he'd said.

"Oh, no, yes, I mean, I'm fine, and no, I haven't seen a ghost, I was just surprised, as I hadn't heard you," she stammered.

"You didn't hear me because you were staring at those flowers," he replied. "A favorite of yours?"

"Not particularly, I was, um, just admiring the color," Maria answered, sure from the flush she felt that her cheeks were now bright red.

"Quite lovely, I agree. They, ah, nearly match your eyes," he offered, his voice unusually soft.

Maria looked up in surprise, then laughed. "That was exactly what I'd been thinking, that they are almost the same color as yours."

The Captain smiled, a gentle, kind smile that raised a dimple in his cheek and made him almost completely irresistible. They were interrupted by the slow roll of thunder.

"Well, I'm glad I passed by here on my way back, as I don't think this storm will hold off much longer, and I believe you've already missed the bus," he said. "Come on with me, hopefully we'll get home before the rain gets too bad." He held out his hand to her, and she paused for the briefest moment before taking it, as he led her quickly back to his car.

As they walked the short distance back to where the Captain had parked the car, they passed several people walking hurriedly in the opposite direction. The Captain dropped Maria's hand that he'd been holding and stepped aside to let the others pass. As they continued on, Maria was surprised when the Captain moved to place his hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her in the direction of the car. This gesture was not unknown to her as she had seen him do it many times with the Baroness when escorting her out of a room, but as his hand touched her body, it felt like a bolt of electricity running through her.

She held her breath as they walked the final few yards to the car, feeling his fingers lightly stroking her back as they moved along. The Captain opened the door for her before proceeding to pull up the cover to the black Mercedes-Benz convertible just as the first few drops of rain started to fall.

The Captain quickly got in the car as the rain began to come down heavier. "Looks like we got to the car just in time!" He threw her a quick glance and laughed as he brushed a few stray raindrops from the brim of his hat. Maria merely nodded, lost for words as she was totally captivated by the sparkle of his eyes as he laughed. Now that they were sitting in such close proximity to each other in the car, Maria could also smell the faint aroma of his aftershave. Any attempts that she might have made before to block her daydreams of him from her thoughts were now totally destroyed.

As the Captain started the car and drove off, they sat there in an awkward silence. Wanting to break the discomfort, Maria finally found her voice. "So, Captain? What were you doing in town today?"

"Well," the Captain replied pleasantly as he drove along, "I had a business appointment in town which…"

Maria started to listen to him but quickly found that she had no idea what the business appointment in town was about. She'd stopped listening to his words since she'd become distracted by watching him as he talked. She saw the way his lips curled up slightly when he spoke about something vaguely amusing, how his eyes narrowed just a fraction when he mentioned the minor irritations he'd encountered. She was mesmerized by the way his fingers tapped the steering wheel playfully while he spoke, and the way his head tilted to the side as he paused mid-story to think of the next event from that afternoon.

She was so enthralled with observing those tiny details about him that she barely noticed that the rain had become torrential and the sky was now dark. The shadows danced across his face as the headlights flashed and reflected off the wet the road up ahead. The Captain gripped the steering wheel more tightly as the drenching rain, despite the wipers going at full speed, dramatically reduced the visibility through the windscreen.

All of a sudden the Captain slammed on the brakes. Maria gave a yelp and instinctively reached out to tightly grasp his leg, stopping herself from being flung forward.

The car came to a complete stop. They sat there in silence for a moment; the only sounds were the beating rain and the wipers continuing to swipe furiously across the windscreen. The headlights beaming through the pelting rain showed a large tree blocking the road just in front of them.

Maria still gripped his leg tightly, slightly shaken by the shock of the car's sudden halt. The Captain glanced down at her hand gripping his leg and slowly placed his own hand over hers gently encouraging her to release her grip. As she relaxed her grasp, the warmth of his hand surprised her. Slowly she raised her eyes to look at his face, his eyes were probing her face with a level of intensity she had not experienced before. It took her breath away.

"Are you all right?" the concern in his voice grabbed at her heart.

"Yes, I think so."

A second later, the moment was gone as the Captain tore his eyes from hers and looked back out through the windscreen to the large tree blocking the road.

"Well that's inconvenient," the Captain muttered under his breath as he observed the situation.

"Is there any way around it?" Maria asked.

"Hmm, perhaps. I'll just get out and take a look," the Captain told her as he was starting to open his door.

Maria gasped. "But sir, you'll get drenched!"

"I'll just be a moment. Wait here would you?" He asked her, flashing her a smile. He quickly got out of the car and hurried over top the fallen tree. After examining it for a moment and taking a quick look around at their surroundings, he dashed back inside the car.

"What did you see? Is there any way around the tree?" Maria quickly asked.

"It appears that I might be able to drive around it." He told her confidently.

The Captain started the car up again and slowly inched forward, turning the car to the right in order to manoeuver around the tree. The car lurched off the surfaced road onto the dirt beside it, but of course after the amount of rain that had fallen, the dirt had now turned to mud. The car crawled slowly forward until it came to an unexpected stop. The Captain put his foot on the gas but the car did not move. Only the sound of spinning wheels could be heard above the storm. He wound down the window and poked his head out trying to see what was the matter as he tried the gas pedal again. The wheels spun in the mud but the car stayed stationary. They were stuck.

"Well Fraulein," the Captain said as he wound up the window. "It looks like the car is bogged. We won't be able to get it out of the mud until the rain stops."

"What do we do until then?" Maria asked.

"I guess we spend the night here together in the car." He replied just as a bolt of lightening struck. For just that split second, Maria thought that she saw a look of delight on his face.

"Are you sure there's no way out?" She questioned, trying in vain to look out of the window on her side of the car. It was useless, as it was dark as pitch even though sunset was still a few hours away.

"I'm sorry, Fraulein, trying again will just get the wheels stuck deeper in the mud. And I for one do not fancy trying to walk home out there," he said, trying to brush the rain off his suit coat. It was no use, as it was already soaked. "Don't worry, we're perfectly safe here."

"In that case, you'd best take off that jacket. You'll catch your death of cold in that." She blushed at what she'd said, and looked down, as the Captain struggled to take his jacket while sitting in the driver's seat.

"Fraulein, would you mind….?" He held his arm out, and immediately Maria knew he needed her to pull the sleeve of the jacket so he could remove it. She nodded, and pulled the sleeve down over his hand, the back of hers brushing against his. Again she felt the electric current run between them, and suddenly it felt very warm in the car.

"What, um, what would you like me to do…?" she asked, as she held the jacket in her hands, the scent of him strong, and his warmth still contained in the fabric. The combination was heady, and kept bringing to the front of her mind the delicious, _no, distinctly inappropriate, _dreams she'd been having recently. _Stop that right now_, she scolded herself.

"Oh, here, I'll take that," the Captain replied. Once he held the lightweight woolen garment in his hands, though, he was at a loss. He looked around the interior of the vehicle, then simply tossed the jacket in the back seat. He then removed his hat, and tossed that along with it. Maria watched as he ran his hands through his hair, leaving it mussed with a lock falling across his forehead. It was all she could do to keep her breathing steady, as he looked even more handsome that way.

"So, Fraulein, how did your visit to the Abbey go?"

Maria thought for a moment-how to answer his question, without revealing the real reason she was seeking counsel?

"Oh, ah, not as well as I'd hoped, actually. The Reverend Mother wasn't there. I did spend some time in prayer, and that helped a bit." _Not enough, though_, she thought, as she fought the urge to brush his hair back from his face.

"I'm sorry you weren't able to seek her counsel. You hold her in very high regard. She must be a very special woman," he said.

"Oh, yes." Maria continued on, telling him all about the Mother Abbess, and how she was willing to take Maria in against all protocol and advice. She noticed how the Captain seemed very interested in what she was saying, never taking his eyes off of her once. Maria felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. Naturally, the Captain noticed that, as well.

"I can't say that's anything to be embarrassed about, Fraulein," he teased. "I'm sure you weren't the first postulant ever in trouble for sliding down the banister." He smirked, trying to hide a laugh, but when she grinned back he couldn't contain it.

"Yes, you were," and "Yes, I was," were spoken simultaneously, and they dissolved into laughter together.

After a few moments, they quieted down. This time, the silence was quite comfortable, and Maria felt no need to break it. That is, until she noticed the Captain starting to remove his tie.

"Captain? What are you doing?" she asked, not quite sure she actually needed an answer.

"I'm removing this horrid noose from around my neck, Fraulein." He gave her a sidelong glance that made her wonder if he thought her mad, as what he was doing was quite obvious.

She looked back at him in surprise. "But you wear a tie all of the time."

"Yes, which is why I'm removing it now." He pulled the narrow strip of fabric out from his collar, and tossed it onto the dashboard. Maria watched as he then unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and prayed that he hadn't noticed the hitch in her breath as she watched. Quickly, she turned her head to look out of the window.

"No need to look away, I won't be disrobing completely," he chuckled. "But if we're to be stuck in this car all night, I'd like to be as comfortable as possible."

"Certainly, sir," Maria replied, her voice unusually husky. She cleared her throat. "I don't blame you for wanting to be comfortable."

"Please, call me Georg. It will be an exceedingly long night if you use my title or honorifics, Maria." She looked at him when she heard him say her name, and the way it rolled off his tongue made her heart sing.

"Yes, Georg," she replied, and watched as his eyes sparkled and he smiled once again.

Quickly they fell back into easy conversation but this time the topic turned to the children. Maria told him more about the time she had spent with the children while he was away in Vienna and he, in return, spoke to her of stories of the children growing up. Soon Maria relaxed, so enthralled by their pleasant conversation that she'd almost forgotten all about her dreams of him.

Finally as Georg finished telling her the amusing story of how Louisa put a snake in Frauline Helga's bed, Maria let out a large yawn.

"Oh, I'm sorry Maria," Georg said. "Have I been boring you with these tales of your predecessors?"

"No, not at all," Maria replied with a smile. "They are quite amusing. I have always been astounded how children as nice as yours are can play such nasty tricks on people."

"I suppose to get my attention," Georg muttered as he scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You know Maria, I really can't thank you enough for what you did."

"What I did?" Maria asked surprised.

"Yes, telling me how I wrong I was. I'd been shutting my children out. They really do want to be close to me and I to them. Thank you for showing me that." His voice was soft and low, soothing, almost musical as he spoke.

He reached out and slowly took her hand, raising it to his lips, giving it a gentle kiss. Maria's gaze locked upon his as his lips lingered on her hand and she felt heat rushing to her face. He moved her hand down to his lap, but did not break eye contact. Maria wasn't sure, but it appeared that Georg started to lean slightly in towards her, almost as if he was just about to kiss her.

CRASH! A loud clap of thunder sounded causing Maria to jump. Instinctively Georg pulled back from her and the moment was gone.

Georg let go of her hand and giving her an awkward smile, he cleared his throat. "Yes, well…" The fingers on his left hand twitched nervously. He gave another cough. "Now, what were we talking about? Oh that's right, you were yawning. You must be tired, Maria."

"I am, I mean I'm not... Oh..." Maria struggled to get out the words, somewhat shaken by what almost happened between them only moments before.

Georg glanced down at the time on his wristwatch. "Ah, no wonder. It's close to midnight. I'm afraid I lost track of the time." He shrugged and threw her an apologetic grin. "Perhaps we should try and get some sleep. How about you take the backseat? I'm sure you will have enough room to lie down back there."

Maria started to protest which Georg, ever the gentleman, quickly stifled. Maria then reluctantly climbed into the backseat of the car. She passed his suit coat and hat back over to him in the front seat where he placed them on the passenger's seat. Maria glanced around the backseat. Yes it was certainly spacious, being large enough to transport all seven children.

She lay down and tried to get comfortable. The heavy rain was still beating down on the car but somehow she found the sound soothing. In the front seat she could hear Georg trying to get comfortable too, but from the amount of groans and huffing and puffing that she could hear, she knew he was not having much success.

She sat up. "Georg," she called out to him. He turned to look back at her. "You don't sound like you're that comfortable there. Would you like to come back here? There is more than enough room for both of us..."

He appeared uncertain. "Maria, are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"Not at all." She smiled at him as he agreed and climbed over to the back seat to sit beside her. She edged away from him over to one side of the car, while he took the other side and she tried to get comfortable again. Minutes passed and Maria was wide-awake, knowing it was going to be almost impossible for her to go off to sleep. Sleep meant dreams, dreams of Georg. How could she sleep with him so close to her? Not after the way he almost kissed her. She had been plagued by dreams of him kissing her for nights now, and here she was alone with him. Oh, and what if she talked in her sleep?

How long had she been lying there? It felt like hours, although it must have only been minutes. She let out a deep sigh. "Trouble getting to sleep, Maria?" Georg's voice roused her from her thoughts.

She sat up. He was looking at her. "Yes, I'm afraid."

"Me, too. I suppose the back seat of a car isn't the most comfortable to sleep in at the best of times," he told her sympathetically.

"I thought I would be able to sleep, I'm certainly tired enough," Maria replied off-handedly.

"Perhaps you have too much on your mind?" Georg suggested, his eyebrows raised.

"My mind?" Maria repeated. Her heart started to race slightly as she knew that that was the _exact_ reason why she couldn't sleep. Surely he didn't know, _couldn't_ know what she had been thinking about him.

"Yes, forgive me Maria, I don't wish to pry but this morning you did seem especially tired. Have you not been sleeping well? It seems as though you have _something_ on your mind. I know you weren't able to seek the Reverend Mother's counsel today, and I'm sorry for that. But you might be surprised to learn that I can be a good listener, if you wish to confide in me." Georg had slid over the back seat towards her as he spoke, taking her hand in his.

Maria's breath tightened in her chest. She looked down, not meeting his eyes. How could she confide in him about her dreams when he was the object of those dreams? How could she tell him what she had dreamt about, about his kissing her and about her being naked with him and him doing things to her that exhilarated her yet terrified her at the same time?

"Maria?" His voice was soft, tender. "You can trust me." He lifted her chin with his finger so she was looking directly into his eyes. Despite the darkness, his clear blue eyes shone. Those eyes that she found herself now lost in, those eyes that intoxicated her right down to her soul. She knew she could trust him.

"Dreams. I've been having dreams…" Maria began, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Dreams? Were these good dreams or bad dreams?" He asked her gently. She shook her head, not answering him. Were they good or bad dreams? Part of her looked forward each night to her dreams about him, until that last dream the night before. She was frightened by what she was dreaming and the things she was dreaming about him.

"And what were these dreams about?" His next question was expected, but she didn't expect herself to answer the way she did until she heard the words escape from her mouth. "About you…"

He was silent for a moment as he searched her face for the answers to the questions he wanted to ask but didn't, questions that he already knew the answer to by the way she was looking at him.

Slowly he moved forward towards her, affectionately cupping her face with his hand. She could feel his soft breath on her face as his lips, now only an inch away from hers, parted slightly. Maria closed her eyes as his lips met hers in a tender kiss. Soft, sweet, gentle, his kiss was everything she'd imagined, and more.

He pulled back from her, just enough to look into her eyes again. "Dreams like that?" he murmured, his voice thick and sensuous to her ears.

"I...ah...yes," she answered quietly. "I didn't know quite what to make of them."

Georg brushed her hair from her eyes, and let his fingers linger along her cheek, then he heard her gasp as he traced her full, pink lips.

"I think I can help with that," he said. "You see, I've been finding myself quite enamored of you, and it seems that you may share those feelings?" She swallowed hard, and nodded, her head barely moving as she held his gaze.

He smiled at her, the lopsided grin that she found so alluring. She felt every muscle in her body quiver as he leaned forward again, kissing her a second time. This kiss was more sensual than the first, more intimate. Georg lightly massaged Maria's lips with his own, then tentatively his tongue moistened her bottom lip. Her mouth opened ever so slightly, and his tongue slipped inside, searching for hers. Maria was a quick learner, and within moments their mouths were engaged in a dance of pleasure.

Georg wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her closer, and Maria did likewise, her hands grasping at the back of his shirt, his hands playing with the hair at the nape of her neck. It was only when Georg's hand strayed down her back, stopping at her waist with his thumb stroking the side of her breast that she pulled away, breathless.

"So, that's a 'yes', then?" He murmured, moving to feather light kisses along Maria's jaw and down her neck. She let her head fall back, and moaned her assent.

"Mmmm, yes." Georg continued kissing Maria, across the open neckline of her dress, then resting his cheek on her bosom. His hand continued the tickling, tracing motion as he drew it up from her side to the front of her dress. He felt her body tense, and she placed a hand over his.

"I think we need to stop, now," she stated. "I've never, well..." her voice trailed off.

"You've never what, Maria?" he whispered, picking his head up and gazing into her eyes.

"I've never done this, any of this, except in my dreams," she admitted. "All these things I've been feeling and dreaming about you. I want… I mean... Oh, I don't know…" Maria found she struggling to find the words to express how she was feeling. "It's all so new… I want to be with you but not like this, not here. I'm sorry."

"Oh, _mein Liebe, _you have nothing to be sorry for," his voice was a bit louder, but very comforting. "I have no intention of doing anything that you aren't ready for, or don't want to do." He sat up, leaned against the inside of the car door, and indicated to Maria she should join him. She did, snuggling under his arm, her back against the seat back.

"Are you comfortable, like this?" he inquired. She nodded her head against his chest, inhaling his masculine scent, which made her insides quake again. "Mmm-hmmm," she sighed, trying to suppress a yawn. "Very comfortable, and warm," she added, as the storm's chill was making its way into the car.

"Good," he said, squeezing her closer. She didn't hear him, as she was already falling into a sweet, restful slumber. "Sweet dreams, Maria," he murmured as he kissed the top of her head.


	3. Chapter 3

The morning sunlight glinted off the fogged-up car windows slowly rousing Georg from sleep. He felt stiff and uncomfortable. But despite the cool early morning air in the car and Georg was only wearing his shirtsleeves, he was not cold in the slightest. The reason was the warm, soft woman still asleep in his arms. Maria's head rested up against Georg's chest, her hand lay on his shoulder, her breathing was soft and regular. Georg wrapped his arms more tightly around her as she started to stir. He ran one hand through her soft, golden hair and smiled to himself.

Georg had been astonished by the turn of events of the previous evening. Since Maria had arrived at the villa a month prior, she had turned everything upside down. From his first impression of her, a defiant young woman in an ugly grey dress, to her standing before him soaking wet, eyes burning with a fiery passion as she confronted and challenged him over how he had been treating his children. After reuniting with them, he had apologized to Maria, realizing how wrong he had been shutting all joy, emotion, and his children out of his life.

Ever since that day, he had begun to notice her more and more. The way she interacted with the children, her endless enthusiasm and energy in keeping up with them; her musical voice, which got his attention whenever she was near. The way she walked, her shapely legs, her rosy lips that he longed to kiss… He was finding himself completely mesmerized by her each and every time he saw her.

Being stranded in the car with her the night before was unexpected, yet not in any way unpleasant, but all the while finding it increasingly more difficult to resist her. He had mild suspicions of her feelings towards him before that day, with once or twice catching her giving him a fleeting look of adoration. But when Maria confessed that she'd been dreaming of him, he couldn't help himself, and he kissed her. Her lips, soft, warm and tender; her kisses, deep and sensual, making him want more, want _her_ more. Georg was finding that Maria made him feel things and want things that he hadn't felt or wanted in a long, long time. She was filling an emptiness in his heart that he never thought would be filled ever again.

Now she was asleep in his arms, and he never wanted to let her go.

At that moment, Maria opened her eyes and yawned, wriggling a tiny bit in his arms. She lifted her head and looked at him, somewhat confused, while she got her bearings.

"Good morning," he said, his tone just a bit playful. Before she could reply, he leant towards her and gave her a long, deep kiss.

As they parted, Maria gave him a small smile. "I was worried that everything that happened last night between us was another dream."

Georg chuckled. "Not at all." Missing his warmth, she snuggled back down into his arms. "So what happens now?" she asked.

"Well… it appears to have stopped raining. I should go and see what the damage is to the car, although I suspect that we won't be able to get the car out of the mud on our own. I'm afraid we'll have to walk back to the villa or perhaps to a nearby house where I could telephone Franz to come and get us."

Maria lifted her head and looked at him. "Oh," she said, her eyes lowering. Georg was silent for a moment as he observed her downcast face. "Hmm, I suspect that's not what you were asking about. You meant what happens now, with us?" Maria nodded.

Georg shifted in his seat to sit more upright as Maria moved to the seat beside him. He ran his hand through his hair, thinking of what to say to her. "Maria, things are… complicated."

"Because of the Baroness?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I see," Maria was silent again, her eyes fixed firmly on her hands in her lap. "You want to pretend that nothing happened last night."

"No," he replied quickly, raising her face gently with his hand so he could look at her. "To pretend that nothing happened would be to say that it didn't mean anything, which is _not_ the case. Maria, I wanted this to happen, we both wanted it I think." He paused as Maria nodded in recognition. "But there is the matter of Elsa, of course. I need to end things with her. I will speak with her as soon as I can. But, for the time being, I think that keeping what happened last night just between us would be best, and that may mean until after the party. Cancelling it would only cause people to question why." Maria nodded again as he gave her another kiss.

"All right. Just until after the party," she repeated in agreement.

After collecting his suit coat and hat from the front seat of the car, Georg opened the car door and they got out. It was clear from a quick examination that the car was truly bogged and they wouldn't be able to free it from the mud on their own. They started to walk down to road towards the villa.

XxXxXxXx

In Georg's estimation, they'd walked nearly two miles when Maria spotted a small cottage hidden in a stand of trees. The front door was open, and a small dog sat on the front step, which seemed to indicate someone was there. A shared look was all the couple needed, and they followed the walk to the door.

_Knock, knock, knock. _Georg rapped on the frame of the rickety screen door. The dog had merely watched the two walk up, and now stood and stretched. Maria leant over to scratch his ears, and heard a pleasant voice from inside the house.

"Hello? Who's there?" the voice called, without the woman it belonged to being seen.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but do you have a telephone I could use to call for help? Our car is stuck in the mud," Georg informed the woman, without identifying himself.

A short, stout woman with rosy cheeks and a flour-dusted apron came to the door. She looked over the two of them, and opened the door, giving non-verbal approval to them.

"Of course, the telephone is right there in the sitting room, to your right," she said, and Georg nodded as he walked past her.

Maria stood in the doorway, not sure whether to follow him or not. The woman smiled at Maria, then invited her inside.

"You do look a sight, dear. Would you like to use the washroom?"

"Oh, yes, if it isn't any trouble. We had to spend the night in the car, after getting stuck in the mud trying to go around a downed tree."

"Well, lucky you were in the car, at least. It was quite a storm. Go on, dear, I'll put on some tea. You look like you could use some," and the woman turned and went into the kitchen.

Georg dialed the number to the villa, and when Frau Schmidt answered, he assured her he was fine, but the car had gotten stuck on his way home, and could she please send Franz with the car. After she informed him a car was on the way, and he'd told her where he was calling from, he hung up and walked back toward the door.

The woman of the house saw Georg standing in the doorway. "Come in, come in, sit down." she told him, and she got cups down from the shelf. "By the way, my name is Vera. I told your wife I would make some tea, she's in the washroom," Vera continued as Maria entered the kitchen.

"Oh, I'm…" Maria began. Georg knew what she was about to say, and interrupted.

"That's very kind of you, Vera." He said, then winked at Maria, which she immediately understood to mean she shouldn't correct the old woman. Instead, she took the seat beside him, smiling and blushing as Georg lightly squeezed her hand.

Vera returned to the table with two fresh cups of tea, then refilled her own. She sat across from the stranded couple, and looked questioningly at the Captain.

"You look very familiar to me, sir," she said.

"We live nearby, and were on our way home when the car got bogged, so I'm sure we've run into each other in town or such," he stalled with a sip of tea. Maria intervened, and made an admiring comment about Vera's gardens, and the woman was off and running, describing in detail her plantings and the different ways she cared for each of the varietals. In the midst of this, Georg excused himself to the washroom.

By the time Vera was finished with her botany lesson, there was the sound of a car in front of the little cottage. Georg looked out the window, and was relieved to find his green convertible.

"Maria, darling, our ride is here. Vera, I thank you very much for the use of the telephone and the tea," he remarked, shaking the woman's hand.

They walked out the door, and Georg stopped in surprise. "Max, what are you doing here? I thought Franz would come for us?"

Max looked equally shocked. "And I was unaware you had company. Good morning, Fraulein," he said to the young woman. Turning back to his dear friend, Max opened his mouth, but no words came. His brain was overrun with questions for the good Captain, and he had no idea where to begin.

Georg regained his composure after the surprise of seeing Max. He strode purposefully up to him. "Do close your mouth Max, you're in danger of catching a fly," he remarked dryly before taking the car keys from his hand. "I'll drive if you don't mind."

Georg opened the car door and pulled forward the passenger seat and gestured for Max to climb into the backseat. After Max got into the car, Georg pushed the seat back before helping Maria into the front seat. He held onto Maria's hand for a fraction of an instant longer than was required. Max cleared his throat from the backseat and causing Georg to drop Maria's hand hastily.

"So, Fraulein, I wasn't expecting Georg to have company," Max commented as Georg started up the car and swiftly turned onto the road back to the villa.

"Yes, it was quite unplanned I assure you," Georg quickly answered for Maria. "I was heading back to the villa yesterday evening when I passed our Fraulein waiting for the bus. Naturally I offered her a lift back with me, rather than let her be caught in the rain. Unfortunately, we ended up being caught in the rain after all."

Georg glanced in the rear-view mirror to Max sitting in the backseat as he spoke, carefully watching his friends' face. He knew it was best, rather than making up some convoluted story, to tell Max the truth of what had happened the night prior. Well, _almost_ the truth anyway. Max, unfortunately, did not appear convinced by Georg's explanation.

"And you had to put up with Georg's boring company all night, Fraulein?" Max asked Maria, still fishing for details.

"Hmm… I suppose I did," Maria replied, nervously giving Georg a sideways glance. "Although," she continued, "it was probably more boring for the Captain hearing me talk about the escapades of the nuns at the Abbey."

"Escapades of the nuns?" Max repeated, surprised but intrigued nonetheless. "Oh please Fraulein, do tell!"

So for the remainder of the journey back to the villa, Maria recounted some humorous stories from the Abbey for the two men. As they travelled, Georg hoped any doubts Max might have had regarding his explanation of the prior night's events would be forgotten. But every now and again, Georg would make eye contact with Max as he looked back in the rear-view mirror. The look Max gave him told Georg that his friend definitely had _not_ forgotten his questions and that he would most likely interrogate Georg in his study later that day.

As they pulled up in front of the house, Max said to Maria. "Fraulein, you must be famished! Please, let me organise some breakfast for you."

Getting out of the car, before Georg could intervene, Max took Maria's arm and escorted her inside. Maria turned her head and caught Georg's eye. She shrugged helplessly and gave him a little smile. Georg caught onto her meaning and followed behind them, hoping to shoo Max away so he would have an opportunity to speak to Maria alone.

Unfortunately, just as they entered the house, all seven children found them as they'd heard the car arriving. Immediately they surrounded Maria, surprised that she was arriving with their father and all wanting to know where she'd been all night.

Reassuring Max that she would get some breakfast for herself later, Maria excused herself to go spend some time with the children.

Desperate to speak to her again, as she started to leave Georg called out to her. "Fraulein," Maria stopped, hearing his voice. "There are a few things…" his voice lingered on the word, "that I wish to discuss with you in regards to the children and the party. I do hope we are able to keep our regular appointment tonight, after the children have been tucked in?"

Maria turned to face him, trying to control the blush she felt coming to her face as she understood the meaning behind his words: that he was just using that as an excuse to meet with her alone.

"Yes, Captain, of course," she replied softly. Their eyes locked for an instant before Marta and Kurt pulled Maria away, with the rest of their siblings.

Georg let his gaze follow her as she left before Max brought him out of his thoughts by clearing his throat. "Georg, what…?" Max began.

"Max," Georg quickly cut him off, knowing that he needed to put an end of Max's questioning. "I've told you how we wound up stranded together last night. As for any other thoughts you might be entertaining, you can just forget about them." The finality of Georg's tone informed Max that there would be no further discussion of the topic.

Georg turned on his heel, leaving Max standing there open-mouthed. Georg went to the kitchen and requested a tray of breakfast to be brought to his study, and a second to be sent up to Maria in the nursery.

Upon entering his study, Georg took off his suit coat and hat, throwing them on the leather lounge in the corner. He ran his hand over his face, the stubble of his unshaven face rough on his hand. _What to do now?_ He wondered. Georg knew he had to speak to Elsa, but what to say to her?

Elsa had been a friend, a good friend for a long time. Indeed she had brought some meaning back to his life when he thought there was no meaning left. The whole purpose of bringing her back to the villa to meet the children was to get their approval for him to marry her, but all that was changed now because of Maria. How could he marry someone when he was in love with someone else?

Georg knew he had to break the news to Elsa gently, but how?

Before he could think more, a sharp knock came at the door.

Opening it, Elsa swept into his office. "Georg, darling!" She embraced him before giving him two air kisses, one on each side of his face. "Here I was thinking you'd decided to stay in town for the evening when the large storm came. But I had no idea that you'd been stuck in that awful car all night long!"

"Oh Elsa," Georg chuckled. "Yes it was completely unexpected, and um… wet."

"Georg, it sounds ghastly, just ghastly!" Elsa replied, looking horrified. She paused for a moment. "Max tells me you weren't alone in that car."

Georg pulled out of her embrace. "No, I wasn't." He walked away from her. "As I told Max before, I was giving Fraulein Maria a lift back to the villa when the car became stuck in the mud."

"I see." She hesitated before continuing.

"Elsa, about Maria…" He began, turning to face her again.

"Should I be concerned, Georg?" Elsa's question took Georg by surprise. He hadn't expected her to be so direct. He opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off.

"No Georg, I understand. She is very attractive you know. You would hardly be a man if you didn't notice her."

"Yes, but…"

"Georg, this little… infatuation you have with the governess will have to stop. There is only so much I'll overlook once… well let's just hope you can get it out of your system for good once the party is over."

"An infatuation? Elsa," Georg felt anger rising inside him, "if you're implying that I'm the kind of man who would…" his voice trailed off and he searched for the words he wanted to say.

"Georg, I'm not implying anything, darling, I'm only saying that moving forward in our relationship I would expect…"

This time it was Georg that cut Elsa off. "Elsa, about our relationship. I think we need to talk."

"Talk? Well, yes I suppose so. But not now, I'm afraid I have way too much to do today. I have to finish organising the party preparations before this afternoon. Georg, I'm leaving for Vienna today."

"Leaving?" Georg asked in surprise.

"Yes, it's about my dress for the party. With you gone last night, I hadn't been able to tell you all about it. I'd contacted my dressmaker back in Vienna and he's more than happy to make me something spectacular! The only thing though, he needs me back in Vienna for the dress fittings. I'll only be gone for a week, ten days at the most. I'll be returning well before the party to handle the last of the preparations. We'll talk when I get back."

Georg let out a defeated sigh. So Elsa was leaving and she didn't want to speak about their relationship. How was he going to solve this problem, the problem he now faced about Maria? He needed to end things with Elsa before he could move forward with this new relationship with Maria.

He tried again. "Elsa, we really do need to talk about us. Today, now! This, you and me, it isn't…"

"Isn't what Georg? Working? Because of the little governess? What do you want me to say to that? You've invited me into your home, throwing this party for me to meet your friends and for them to meet me. But now, you want to end things?"

"I do," Georg replied as gently as possible. He watched Elsa's face fall. "Please Elsa, if you'd let me explain."

"No darling, don't talk," she quickly interrupted him. "There is too much going on today and my car is coming for me in just over two hours time. Perhaps we can use this time apart to give us space and to think about what we both want. Then we'll talk again. Georg, please don't make a hasty decision about our relationship, not just yet. Wait just until after the party."

"Just until after the party," Georg repeated. He found his voice echoing the exact words that Maria had said earlier that day when talking about _their_ relationship. Now he was saying those words to Elsa.

Elsa gave him a bittersweet smile. "Thank you. Now, I've got some calls to make before I leave. Auf Wiedersehen, darling." She kissed him on the cheek, and then she was gone from the room.

He sighed. So it seemed that everything was waiting for the party to be over: waiting to ending his relationship with Elsa and waiting to starting his relationship with Maria.

He wasn't sure he _could_ wait. He was equally sure he didn't want to. But for now, his hands were tied.

XxXxXxXx

Elsa left the villa without so much as another word to Georg, or anyone else, including Max. Which is why, several minutes after she was gone, Max was at the door of Georg's study.

"What's going on?" Max asked his oldest and dearest friend.

"Oh, I'm just going through some of the bills. Someone's got to pay for your food and drink, you know," Georg replied, with a bit more of a snarl than he'd intended. "I apologize, I don't mean to take my frustration out on you."

"I thought that's why you kept me around."

Georg gave his friend a rueful smile. "No, but I suppose for the last few years it probably seemed that way." He rubbed his hand along his chin thoughtfully.

"So, what's got you frustrated now?"

"I'd wanted to talk to Elsa about our relationship before she left and she, ah, put me off."

"Well, certainly you can't be surprised about that, can you? You left yesterday for a business meeting, and came home this morning, looking as dishevelled as your little governess." Max gave Georg a pointed look.

Georg glared at him. When he spoke, his voice was uncommonly quiet and controlled. "Perhaps we ought to change the subject. It has been a long day, and-" Max cut him off.

"Don't you mean it was a long night? Or was the night over too quickly?" At Max's question, Georg threw down his pen, and stood up.

"Max! I told you, the circumstances were unplanned and totally innocent."

"The circumstances of how you wound up stuck in a car all night with your comely young governess may have been. But was your conduct as innocent?" Max walked toward the door, then paused to turn and look back at his friend. "I just wish you to think carefully about how you handle this, because the fallout may be more than you bargained for." He left Georg's study without looking back.

XxXxXxXx

Later that evening, the villa was quiet as it began to close down for the night. Georg once again sat in the large, leather armchair in his study, and fire lit to ward off an unseasonable chill in the air. He nursed a whiskey as he watched the flames and brooded over the situation in which he now found himself.

A quiet knock at the door, followed by a soft voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Captain? You wished to meet with me?" Maria's voice was like a soothing balm to his troubled soul.

"Yes, please, Fraulein, come in," he stood as she entered the room, and gestured to the settee near the fireplace. "Would you like a drink?" He headed to the bar to refresh his own beverage.

"Oh, no, thank you," she answered, as she took a seat.

He returned to the settee by way of the door; a quick look into the hallway to reassure himself there was no one to eavesdrop, Georg shut the door and went to sit next to Maria.

"The children were no trouble, I assume?" He took another swallow of whiskey before setting the glass on the table.

"No, none at all; Gretl wanted an extra lullaby, though. She said she missed us last night."

Georg smiled. "I'm sure she missed you, my dear. She's probably still used to me not being around very often." He raised his arm up and stroked Maria's cheek with the back of his hand. She surprised him by gently kissing that hand as it passed by her lips.

That was all that was needed. They were drawn together like a magnet and steel, joining in a bond that was beyond their conscious control. Georg exploring her mouth gently, savoring the taste of her; Maria delighting in the intimacy of him sliding between her lips.

After satisfying their most immediate desires, Georg reluctantly pulled his lips away from Maria's, now swollen from his kisses, and even more tempting. But before they got carried away, he needed to speak with her.

"Maria, I tried to break things off with Elsa earlier, before she left for Vienna. She, ah, let's just say she isn't going to make things easy."

She looked at him, her expression puzzled. "I'm not sure what that… what do you mean?"

"I told her we needed to talk about the relationship, I wanted to end it. She wanted to wait until she returns from Vienna."

"Oh." Maria looked down at her lap, and smiled as she watched Georg take her hand. She twined her fingers into his. "Well, we'll just have to make the best of it, I suppose."

"You are far too kind and understanding, Maria."

She smiled at him. "You're worth the wait."

They settled comfortably into the settee, Maria nestled into Georg's side, his arm around her. After a few moments of quiet togetherness, Georg spoke again.

"I'm very sorry that we have to wait, that you must wait until after this blasted party to be properly and openly courted. There is nothing I would like more than to shout from the rooftops how happy I am."

"That's the easy part," Maria replied. "What will be difficult is waiting to be in your arms, without worrying about who might see."

Her earnestness melted any concerns he had, and Georg embraced her fully, as he pulled her to him. He made a trail of kisses across her cheek, down her neck to her collarbone, feeling her shudder when he softly sucked the sensitive area. Leaning back, he took Maria with him, the full weight of her on top of him. He slid his hands up and down her back as he continue to taste her, part of her shoulder now exposed.

Maria shyly began exploring his as well, sighing contentedly when she felt his reaction to her mouth on his own neck. He brought one hand around her, searching for and finding her breast, kneading, pulling at the fabric of her bodice seeking the satin of her skin. With no entry to be had, he redirected his attentions to pulling up the skirts of her dress, sliding his hand up the silk of her stocking.

He was distracted from going further when he felt Maria's hand on his bare skin; she'd opened several of his shirt buttons and now was combing her fingers through the hair on his chest. Georg knew from experience if he didn't stop them now, there was no going back.

Withdrawing his hand from beneath her skirts, he placed that hand upon Maria's, stilling her motions. She looked up at him, questioning.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, God no." He kissed her lips in reassurance. "But if we continue, I will. As much as I don't want to, I think we should stop."

Maria rested her head on his shoulder, still atop him, her body pressed into his. She knew he was right, even as she didn't wish to stop at all. She kissed him in return, before carefully removing herself from his form.

Adjusting their clothing, they moved to the door. Georg again carefully looked out, and seeing that the halls were dark and no one was about, they walked side by side to the stairs, each going to their separate wings of the house.

XxXxXxXx

_The darkness was swimming around him; he didn't know where he was, except he was with her. Her soft, warm lips upon his; her tongue gently and sensually exploring his mouth. His hands roaming all over her body, her skin like the softest silk beneath his touch. Her arms, her waist, her breasts, oh, her breasts! Perfect mounds of creamy flesh that seemed made just for his hands. The feeling of the buttons of his shirt being undone; her hand slipping inside his shirt, tenderly caressing his chest. He wanted her, his ardent desire for her overcoming him…_

_Suddenly it was no longer dark. Lying amidst soft, satin sheets in a large bed, limbs entwined, naked and exposed to the early morning light. Spine tingling sensations ran through his body as they kissed, licked, touched and tasted one other. Cupping the soft curve of her breast in his hand, he took its pink tip in his mouth, sucking and teasing the nipple. Moving his head to lock his eyes with hers: her captivating, dazzling blue eyes now alight with a fiery lust for him…_

_Her light and quick fingers running down his body-from his shoulders to his full erection, where she paused, stroking it gently. Her luscious mouth following the same path as her fingers down his body to its final goal…_

_His hands gripping tightly to the bed sheets as he was pushed back onto the bed. Slowly, seductively she climbed on top of him, mounting him. She quickly set the pace for their lovemaking, moving together with him in perfect harmony. Sounds of gasping, panting and ragged breathing filled the room. The rays of the morning light hitting her golden hair as she threw her head back moaning with ecstasy… "Oh Georg…"_

_Reaching for her, only one word escaped his lips as his body exploded with pleasure, racked with spasms… "Maria…"_

Georg sat bolt upright gasping for breath, his whole body dripping with sweat. He felt slightly embarrassed with himself for having such a lustful dream, like he was a hormone-raged teenager again.

With the visions of the dream still clearly etched on his brain, Georg made up his mind. Waiting or no waiting, he knew what he wanted, and Georg was a man who usually got what he wanted.


	4. Chapter 4

Max Dettweiler was growing increasingly suspicious regarding the nature of Georg von Trapp's relationship with his childrens' twelfth governess. Ever since the morning several days ago, when he'd been dumbstruck to find the pretty, charming Fraulein had spent the night in the car with his friend, he'd been noticing more and more Georg's attentions toward the young lady.

It seemed that now, any time he wished to find his friend, all Max needed to do was to follow the sounds of the children. Of course, Georg had only just re-established a loving and attentive relationship with his seven offspring. Spending time with them was certainly to be expected. And with Elsa Schraeder off in Vienna, his attentions no longer needed to be divided between his brood and the baroness he'd been courting. But now, time spent with the children meant time spent with Maria, as well.

Max often tagged along on the activities Maria planned for the children, as much to enjoy watching Georg interact with them as to puzzle out the interaction between the two adults. Under his careful scrutiny, Max had, in the last few outings, watched the Captain deliberately making contact with her; sitting just a bit closer than proper, brushing his hand with hers when reaching for something, looking into her eyes and causing her to blush, or Max's favorite-when Georg would look around before leaning over and whispering into her ear. Max was usually a bit too far away to be sure, but it often looked as if Georg would place a quick kiss on her cheek.

He vowed to keep watching, and to warn Georg he was treading on dangerous ground. But that warning could wait until Elsa's return, as Max was having too much fun just observing.

XxXxXxXx

Georg entered his study and shut the door. Pacing up and down a few times, his fingers wriggled slightly, a clear sign of his agitation. He knew what he wanted, but one person was standing in his way.

Deciding on his next course of action, he strode purposefully to his desk and sat down, picking up the telephone. Dialling the number, he waited a few seconds while the exchange connected the line before the familiar voice of Elsa's housekeeper was heard through the receiver.

"Yes, this is Captain von Trapp wishing to speak with Baroness Schraeder… She's not there? … When will she return?... Oh, you don't know… Oh she did?... Yes, thank you for letting me know that she got my previous messages… Will you again please ask her to telephone me as soon as she returns?... Yes, yes, thank you very much. Good day."

Georg hung up the telephone and frowned to himself. That was the third such phone call that he'd made over the past few days and every time he'd called, Elsa was inconveniently absent from her villa. It appeared she was avoiding him. He was desperate to speak with her, to finally put an end to their relationship. He knew he'd promised her that they would wait until after the party to discuss their relationship further but he couldn't wait. He wanted to move forward with his relationship with Maria, but until he ended things with Elsa, he felt uneasy with the secrecy surrounding his time with Maria.

During the day, Georg found himself drawn to Maria like a magnet, her angelic voice and endless energy with the children entirely captivating. Of course he'd enjoyed the time with his children too, but he found he was always coming up with excuses to be near Maria or speak with her. Simply being in her cheerful presence gave him a feeling of joy and contentment that he hadn't felt in years.

But keeping his hands off her was another matter entirely. As difficult as it was in public, in private it was even more so. Why just that afternoon, he had bumped into her coming out of the kitchen where she had been arranging details for the evening meal. One look at each other and he was pulling her into the nearby storage closet where they spent the next ten minutes in each other's arms, only to emerge both looking flustered, hair and clothing quite dishevelled.

Then every time Maria came to Georg's study for their evening appointments, discussions of the children's daily activities were rapidly forgotten as they found themselves locked in a passionate embrace. Their kisses and caresses quickly escalating to the point that he was sure he would soon insist of the door being left open or else things would be taken too far.

Now Georg found himself incredibly frustrated that he was unable to get in contact with Elsa to finish things off once and for all. Georg wanted to court Maria, to wine and dine her, to romance her.

But he couldn't…. or could he?

Suddenly Georg sat more upright in his chair. An idea was forming in his head. Quickly he stood up and left the room in order to make some preparations.

XxXxXxXxXx

That evening, a gentle knock came on the study door.

"Captain?" Maria's soft voice asked as she opened the door.

"Fraulein, yes please come in," Georg welcomed her warmly into the room, but noticeably leaving the door open.

Maria glanced at the open door quizzically, before raising her eyebrows in question. "Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"No, no, no… not at all," he replied quickly. "It's just I don't intend for us to stay in here tonight."

"Oh?" she replied, now quite curious to his meaning.

Georg put out his arm, "If you will, Fraulein," he asked with a roguish smile on his lips.

"Where…?" she asked as she took his arm.

"Upstairs."

"Upstairs? Oh, Georg, I really don't think…" Maria began, looking alarmed as she dropped his arm quickly and took a step back.

"No, Maria," he chuckled, "it isn't what you think… it's quite proper I assure you. Please." He held out his hand again to her, the earnest expression on his face so entrancing that Maria knew that she could never deny him anything when he looked at her like that.

Slowly Maria took his arm again and allowed him to lead her from the study and up the stairs. Georg led her out onto the second floor balcony, to a spot off in the corner that was usually hidden in darkness. She gasped in surprise and delight as she took in the scene before her.

The wrought iron seat that had room for two had been moved, and covered with cushions and a throw, for comfort and warmth in the chill of the night air. A table had also been dispatched, and was nearby holding candles, a wine bucket, two crystal flutes, and a small bowl with berries. A second bowl held something dark, and when Maria looked more closely saw the contents were chocolate candies.

"Oh, my! Did you do all this?" her astonishment touched his heart, and he stood behind her, putting his arms around her waist to pull her closer.

"I did. I've decided you need a proper courtship, even if for the time being we need to meet under the cover of darkness." He turned her in his arms, so that now she was facing him. "I'm sorry there is still a need to keep this private between us, but I promise you, it won't be much longer." Leaning down, he gently placed his lips on hers.

Georg brought her to the bench, encouraged her to sit, and expertly popped the cork from the bottle before pouring the bubbly liquid into the glasses. Handing one to Maria, and lifting the other, said, "To the beginning of us." Taking a sip from his glass, he noticed Maria hesitate.

"Is there something wrong, Maria?"

"No, I just have never had champagne before."

"I think you will find it to your liking. Take a sip, then I'll teach you how to use the fruit and chocolate to enhance the experience." Maria found his words and his voice to be provocative, and felt a little thrill course through her veins.

As she moved to take her first sip, she could feel Georg's eyes on her. The elixir tickled her nose and delighted her taste buds. Maria met his gaze as the enticing warmth of the alcohol slid down her throat. She smiled at him before remarking how delicious she found it to be.

Without taking his eyes off of her, he picked up a berry and placed it between his lips, taking it into his mouth at the same moment he took another sip of the champagne. When he finished, he took a second berry and placed it between Maria's lips, and wordlessly encouraged her to do the same. She followed his lead, all the while her eyes still locked on his. This sip left her quite breathless, and yet she knew it wasn't simply the champagne she was enjoying.

"Oh, my, that's quite a….a…." she was at a loss for a word to describe the experience.

"Sensuous, I think, is the word you're looking for?" he whispered. "I fully agree. Wines of all types enhance an experience."

Their eye contact was at last broken as Georg leaned forward to place his lips on Maria's, slowly claiming her mouth with his. It was a long, lingering kiss so intense it left Maria feeling aroused and elated and alarmed all at once. She pulled away, set down her glass, and walked to the balcony rail.

Georg sat for a moment, gathering his wits about him. What was it about this young woman that impassioned him so? Had he frightened her with his ardor? He waited another long moment, before going to her. He stood behind her, careful not to touch her but close enough that the quietest whisper from him would be heard.

"Maria? What's wrong?" He wanted so to hold her, to brush away her fears, to show her how much he cared.

"Nothing. Everything. Oh, I don't know how to explain it." The words rushed out all at once, her inner turmoil finally breaking free.

"Take your time, I'm not going anywhere." He set one hand on the balcony rail, the other by his side, available to her at any moment.

"Well, it's just all happening so fast. And I'm not even sure what we're doing is right." He could both hear and feel Maria's anguish, and longed to provide comfort.

Georg sighed, and looked up at the starlit sky which for so many years provided him strength and solace. "I know this is a bit unconventional, but you must know that my relationship with Elsa is over, and I am simply trying to spare her public embarrassment by keeping ours quiet for the moment."

"It isn't only that." Maria turned toward him. "I heard for so long that physical attentions between a man and a woman were wrong, and were not something that decent people did. How can it be, that something that feels so right can be wrong?"

He took her hands in his, and paused a moment before speaking. "Maria, it isn't wrong. Perhaps-no, certainly our timing is a bit off. But there is nothing inherently wrong in how we feel. If you prefer we wait to begin our courtship, I certainly understand…."

Her finger to his lips made him stop speaking. "You don't think these feelings between us are sinful? That was why I went to see the Reverend Mother that day..."

Georg smiled at her, and finally dared to place his arm around her. "Was that because of your dream?"

Maria blushed. "Yes."

He pulled her closer, his hand making small circles on her back as a means of comfort. "Sinful? No, not sinful. God created woman as a companion and helpmate for man, so I don't think it sinful." Georg took her hand in his free one, and brought it to his lips for a chaste kiss. "But, I do understand…" his voice trailed off and he paused as he chose his next words carefully. As much as he knew what he wanted, Maria's feelings were of the utmost importance to him. "Maria, things between us are new, unexpected, but not wrong. I do understand your hesitation, especially under the circumstances. Of course nothing needs to happen between us that you don't feel comfortable with." He watched the relief wash over her face at his words. "Perhaps we can just enjoy each other's company tonight?" Maria smiled and gave him a nod of approval.

Taking her hand, he led her back to the settee, waited for her to settle in, then sat beside her. "Now, Maria, let us continue your lesson on wine appreciation."

The next couple of hours were filled with bubbly wine and conversation. They spoke of the children, of course; Maria told Georg more about her childhood. He shared about his own, and how he came to join the Navy.

Along the way to the wee hours of the morning as they got more relaxed, Georg's jacket and tie were discarded on the arm of their seat. Maria's shoes were kicked off, and she brought her legs up beneath her to get more comfortable. When that failed, Georg moved a bit closer, and lifted her legs up across his lap.

"Better?" he asked.

"Mmmhmm, much," Maria answered, as he began gently massaging her lower legs. She lifted her hand, running it through her Captain's chestnut locks. Leaving his hair messy, she pulled a lock down over his forehead, and softly giggled.

"Now you look more like a sea captain," she teased, a bit giddy from the bottle of champagne they'd shared.

"And why is that, my dear Fraulein?"

"With your hair mussed, you could be a rakish pirate, actually," the tilt of her head as she studied his face amused him, as did the way she blushed at her own thoughts.

"So, tell me why you blushed just now."

Maria looked at him in surprise. "I didn't."

"You did, and if you don't tell me what you were thinking that made you blush so, I'll…"

"You'll what, Captain?"

He immediately discarded the first several ideas as far too inappropriate, then something the children had shared came into his head.

"I'll tickle you until you tell me."

"I'm not ticklish, Georg."

"Oh, but you are, and the children told me exactly where to…"

"No."

"Game on, Fraulein." His hand was already at the spot below her arm that the girls had let slip, and before Maria could move away she was in his grasp.

She yelped in surprise, and in an effort to silence her, Georg kissed her. And once again, the power of their physical attraction took over, hands roamed, tongues danced, longing and passion took over from restraint. As he kissed her, Georg tipped her backwards on the chaise so that he was lying almost on top of her. Again and again they kissed, touched and felt each other as their inhibitions were now somewhat lowered from the amount of champagne consumed. Before long, buttons were fumbled with, opening them as quickly as possible, the urgent desire to feel each other's skin taking over.

Hot fiery kisses were placed down her neck, down her chest to her breasts as he fondled them through her fine chemise. As Georg sucked gently on her skin, Maria let out a soft moan of pleasure at his touch. She raked her fingers through his hair, encouraging his actions before running her hands down his back, to under his now open shirt feeling his muscular chest beneath. Georg moved his face back up to claim her lips again, the intensity of his kiss leaving them both breathless.

Just as he started to pull her dress lower to gain better access to her soft skin underneath, a loud bang of a nearby door instantly brought them both back to their senses.

Maria gasped and immediately Georg placed a finger over her lips to silence her as he looked up towards the door leading from the balcony back out to the hallway, waiting to see whether they would be discovered. Maria held her breath and her heart thumped loudly in her chest, the fear of their impending discovery overtaking her. They heard the distant sound of footsteps, then another door being closed, then silence.

Slowly Georg removed his finger from her lips and moved off her, pulling her up to a sitting position again. Although her face was only illuminated by the moonlight, he could tell she'd been shaken by the close call of them being 'almost' discovered.

"Maria?" he asked her quietly, "are you alright?"

Maria took in his dishevelled appearance, his shirt completely unbuttoned and hanging loose then down at her own partially unbuttoned dress. "Georg, oh I'm so sorry…" she gasped.

"Shhh…. No, my love. Don't apologize," he took her hand and pulled her into his arms, holding her close. He gently kissed her forehead. "I should be the one to apologize to you. I…"

"No Georg," Maria pulled out of his arms to look at him. "I want… I mean… everything's moving so fast, and the secrecy surrounding our relationship… I feel… I don't know… I feel confused…" She stood up, giving him a pleading look. "Please, I think I need to go now."

"Maria…" Georg stood to join her, reaching out to take her hand but she pulled away and turned away from him as she did up the buttons of her dress.

"My shoes. Have you seen them?" She looked around for them but with the darkness, it was next to impossible to find them.

"Maria…" Georg tried to speak to her again.

"I might have to find them in the morning." Maria continued, ignoring Georg's pleas to speak to her. "I don't think we should turn on a light on, I don't want anyone to discover us."

Finally she turned back around to face Georg, seeing the concerned look on his face. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in deeply, composing herself before opening her eyes and approaching him. "Please Georg, let's not talk tonight. I'm tired, and the wine has left me feeling a bit dizzy. Tomorrow?"

Georg opened his mouth to reply but on second thoughts, closed it again and nodded. "Of course Maria. It is late, shall I walk you to your room?"

"No, I think it'll be better if I go alone." She reached up and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Good night Georg." With that, she was gone from the balcony.

Georg looked around that the remnants of their romantic evening, now gone horribly wrong. He mentally kicked himself for letting things go too far, for making her feel so uncomfortable that she was practically running from his arms. He knew that he should remove up any evidence of their night together but he didn't want to run the risk of waking any of the staff downstairs. No, he would get up early the following morning and clean everything up. Quietly he left the balcony for the sanctuary of the master suite.

Maria entered her bedroom and put on the small lamp in the corner of the room, finding the little bit of light after spending the night in darkness comforting. She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the thoughts from that evening. Quickly she dressed into her nightgown and got into bed.

She hadn't been untruthful to Georg, she was tired, far more tired than she'd originally thought. But things between them that evening had gone too far, and she felt frightened. She was frightened about how _much _she wanted him, how much she'd enjoyed it when he touched and kissed her, and how much she'd wanted him to continue. But then she still had that uneasy feeling at the back of her mind that what they were doing was wrong.

With those many and many other conflicting thoughts still swirling around her head, she gradually drifted off to sleep.

"_Shhhh, quiet, darling, we don't want to wake them." Georg lay Maria down on the bed, in the darkened room. He quickly joined her, his body half-covering hers, the weight of him so comforting, his skin so warm against hers in the chill of the bedchamber._

_Maria whimpered softly as he kissed her, then began making a trail from her mouth to her collarbone with his tongue. She couldn't tell if the sensations running through her body were simply from that, or from the way his hands stroked and caressed her breasts. Her dress had been lost along the way, and now he made quick work of removing her brassiere, which was tossed into the darkness._

_Immediately his mouth was upon her, kissing, licking and sucking as she writhed beneath him. She ran her hands through his dark hair, pulling him closer. When that wasn't close enough, she moved her hands to his shoulders, prompting him to return to her mouth._

_Now the feel of his muscular chest against her bare skin sent new sparks through her body, and a now-familiar clenching of the muscles in the cleft between her legs. Maria could feel Georg's growing arousal against her thigh. "Do you want this? Maria? Tell me."_

"_Yes, yes!" She moved beneath him, so that his entire body now covered hers. Georg propped himself over her, ready to ease himself inside, when the door slammed open and a bright light exposed the couple._

"_MARIA!" The young woman looked up to find the Reverend Mother looming above them. "Just what do you think you're doing?"_

Maria sat bolt upright in bed, her heart racing, her body shaking. The small lamp was still burning over in the corner of the room, the light helping her gain her bearings again.

The final image of her dream still raged on the forefront of her mind. She felt so confused, so conflicted. Everything between her and Georg felt so right, but at the same time, felt so wrong. Oh, what was she going to do?

Silently, Maria began to weep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Under the Cover of Darkness Chapter 5**

Maria rose early. She hadn't slept much during the night, not after her dream anyway. She had lain awake, thinking and worrying about everything that had happened over the past few days, especially her relationship with Georg. While she knew the Reverend Mother was still away, Maria decided to go to the Abbey for morning prayers in the hope she'd get some guidance.

She dressed and wrote a short note, planning on leaving it for the children to let them know where she was going and that she would be back after breakfast.

She left her room and quietly crept back to the upstairs balcony to retrieve her shoes that she wasn't able to find in the dark the night before. Opening the door to the balcony, she could see by the morning light her shoes underneath the wrought iron seat. As she put on her shoes on, she noticed that while the seat was still placed where it had been the night before, everything else from her night with Georg has been cleaned up. She assumed Georg must have done it after she'd left him and gone to bed.

Memories of the previous night were still etched on her mind. The way Georg had held her, kissed her, touched her… it caused her stomach to leap and her heart to race. She knew how much she wanted to be with him, but still, she felt confused and conflicted.

Leaving the balcony, Maria walked silently down to the nursery. She was about to enter when her gaze travelled further down the corridor to where the passageway split into two. She'd never travelled down that corridor before, but the children had informed her the right-hand passageway led to guest quarters, while the left-hand passageway led to the master suite.

Georg's suite - Maria's breath caught in her throat. Looking down at her hand still resting on the knob of the nursery door, _no_, she thought to herself. Maria left the nursery door and started to venture towards Georg's rooms. Even though it was inappropriate to go to his suite, Maria knew she needed to speak with him, at least tell him that she was going to the Abbey. She couldn't just leave a note; she couldn't leave without saying goodbye to him.

Just as she was about to take to left hand turn towards the master suite, she ran head on into someone. "Hmmph…," she groaned as she took a step backwards, trying to see who she'd just run into. "Herr Dettweiler!" She gasped.

"Fraulein Maria?" Max asked as he placed one hand on her shoulder, steadying her, the other hand remaining behind his back. "Are you alright?" Maria nodded, trying to catch her breath after her fright.

"I must say Fraulein, I didn't expect to run into you this early in the morning..." Max glanced down towards to master suite, "especially here."

"Oh, I was up early to go to the Abbey for morning prayers. I was about to leave the Capt… I mean leave the children this note before I left." Maria bent down and picked up the note she'd dropped when she'd run into Max.

"I see… so Georg doesn't know you're going then?" Max asked her, raising his eyebrows inquisitively.

"No, ah… he doesn't." Maria replied, trying to act as nonchalant as she could as to not give herself away. "Um… as you know, I wasn't able to see the Reverend Mother the other day when I visited the Abbey so I thought I'd attend morning prayers today."

"Of course, I understand Fraulein." There was an awkward pause while Max studied her face, making Maria feel uncomfortable.

Maria cleared her throat. "What are _you_ doing up so early Herr Dettweiler? It's not like you to be up at this hour."

"Yes, it _is _unusual, I admit. I much prefer rising later in the day, however I have an appointment in town with a lovely little singing group. I'm hoping to be able to sign them for the Salzburg Festival before Sascha Petrie swoops in and signs them first." Max gave a little laugh before quickly rubbing his moustache with his finger. "Fraulein, would you permit me to offer you a ride into town? I'll be leaving in just a few minutes, and I suspect you may have a long wait for a bus at this hour of the morning."

"No, Herr Dettweiler, I don't want to put you to any trouble." Maria started to protest.

"No, no, no… no trouble I assure you. If you would just give me a moment or so to collect my documents and collect the car, I'll meet you out the front of the villa."

Maria gave him a thankful smile before turning to leave the way she'd come. As she past the nursery door, Max called out to her. "Fraulein?" Maria turned. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Max indicated to the note in her hand.

"Oh yes, of course." Maria blushed slightly as she quickly popped into the nursery delivering the note to the children, before back hurrying down the corridor.

Max watched her go, and when he was sure she was out of sight, he brought his arm around in front of him from where it had been behind his back. In his hand were two used champagne flutes that he'd just found on the upstairs balcony.

Max shook his head - he had many questions, questions for his friend about what on earth was going on between him and his dear governess. But that would have to wait for later, and Max took the stemware to his room and tucked it away for later.

XxXxXxXx

"Oh, thank you, Herr Dettweiler," Maria said, as Max offered his arm to her as she got into the car. She was still quite unaccustomed to the politesse he and the Captain used with women.

"Please, dear, call me Max. I'm sure we'll be getting much better acquainted, as you seem to have made a place for yourself here," he remarked, closing the door.

Maria wondered briefly what he meant, when he clarified upon entering the driver's seat.

"The children seem to love you so, and you've thus far outlasted all of the other governesses Georg has employed." He carefully steered the car out of the villa as he continued. "Please, do tell your secrets."

She inhaled sharply, then said a quick prayer. _Lord, I know he isn't asking what I think he's asking, help me stay calm. _"I'm afraid I don't have any secrets, sir. I just meet the children where they are, and try to answer their needs. It's rather simple, really. And they're such lovely children."

He smiled. "It does sound simple when you put it that way." And now he knew the answer to why Georg was so entranced with her as well-she met him where he was, and was answering a need Max presumed Georg hadn't even acknowledged in himself. "I know the entire family will be quite sad to see you go at the end of the summer."

Maria for once planned her words carefully. "Well, I'm not sure I'll be returning to the Abbey. I'm not sure I'd make a very good nun after all," she admitted.

"Now, I know you've expressed that sentiment before. What makes you think that, Maria? You seem quite adept at everything you do, and I've seen enough to know you are a woman of great faith."

"There are many reasons, I suppose. I guess the most important one would be that the Reverend Mother sent me here to see if the cloistered life was something I could expect of myself."

"Have you found the answer to that yet?" He tried to glance over to see her reaction to what he'd said.

To Maria's relief, she saw the entrance to the Abbey just ahead, and the sight gave her the answer she needed. "That's part of the reason I'm visiting here today."

Max pulled to the side of the road near the great iron gates that kept the outside from invading the sacred space within the stone walls.

"Here you are, dear girl, delivered safe and sound," as he helped Maria from the car. "If you think you'll need a ride back to the villa later, I would be happy to come for you after my meeting."

"That won't be necessary, Herr….I mean Max. I'm not sure how long I'll be, and it's never a very long wait for the bus." She smiled, and turned to the abbey entrance.

And Max was left to ponder just how long she would have had to wait for the bus the night she had been stranded with Georg.

XxXxXxXx

Georg awoke and glanced at the time on the nearby clock. He groaned, it was much later than he'd wanted to wake. Unfortunately, his sleep had been restless, spending many hours tossing and turning with dreams of the woman he desperately wanted to be with, while being tortured with the problem of how he was going to make it happen.

He got up, showered and dressed before making his way to the second floor balcony to clean up the remnants of his night with Maria before the household servants or anyone else discovered it. To his surprise, the empty bottle, glasses and bowls were nowhere to be seen and the wrought iron chair pushed back to its normal place. Looking around he could see no sign of Maria's missing shoes so Georg supposed that perhaps she'd risen early and tidied up herself.

Wanting to find and speak with Maria right away, he turned down the corridor heading towards her room. He knocked twice at the door, but after getting no response, he stupidly realised she must already be with the children. Therefore his next stop was the nursery.

Opening up the door, he was greeted by arguing voices.

"You're pulling my hair, it hurts." Gretl complained, turning around to yank her hair out of Liesl's grasp.

"If you'd stop wriggling and sit still, it wouldn't hurt so much." Liesl muttered in reply.

Gretl stood up, put her hands on her hips and huffed. "Liesl, I wish you would you brush my hair just like Fraulein Maria does."

Liesl sighed, quite exasperated. "Gretl, if Fraulein Maria was here, _she_ would be brushing your hair, and not me."

"Fraulein Maria's not here?" Georg's voice cut the two girls' conversation off. They both looked up to see him standing in the doorway, a frown on his face.

"No Father," Liesl said. "She's gone to the Abbey."

"The Abbey?" Georg repeated sounding quite astounded. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, she left this note." Liesl stood up and went over to the bureau, retrieved the note Maria had left in the nursery that morning, and handed it to her father. He read it quickly, the contents were brief and offered no additional clue to the purpose of her visit, only saying that she would be back after breakfast.

"Father? Are you alright?" Liesl asked him, sensing from his demeanour that something wasn't right.

"Hmm?" Georg looked up at her, composing himself. "Yes, fine. It's just Fraulein Maria's absence is ah… unexpected. Are you able to finish getting the children ready for breakfast Liesl, or shall I send for Frau Schmidt to help?"

"We'll be fine Father, if Gretl will sit still long enough for me to finish doing her hair." Liesl laughed as Gretl made a face at her. "We'll be down for breakfast shortly."

Georg nodded and left the room. As he closed the door behind him, he thought of the predicament he now found himself in. He'd tried to break things off with Elsa, but that hadn't worked. He'd tried to court Maria privately, but that had ended disastrously. Everything was spiralling out of control and he was a man who needed to be in control. Shaking his head, he made up his mind. Georg knew what he had to do to set things straight.

XxXxXxXxXx

As Maria watched Max drive away in the car, she decided not to enter the Abbey via the main gates but slip around to the side entrance, the one she had used so frequently when she was a postulant at the Abbey.

The morning prayers had just begun; the nuns had taken their places at the front of the chapel and were singing the opening hymns. Maria pulled her shawl over her hair and slipped into the back-most pew and joined them in song.

She'd only been there minutes when she heard someone join her and a soft voice whispered in her ear, "Hello, Maria."

Maria looked up to see the kind face of Sister Margaretta next to her. Maria smiled, "Sister Margaretta."

The hymn finished and both Maria and Sister Margaretta knelt down, bowing their heads as the bishop offered the confessional prayer. As the prayer concluded, they both rose from their kneeling positions to sit back in the pew.

"It is good to see you Maria," Sister Margaretta said to her. "I saw you at the Abbey several days ago but I didn't have the chance to speak with you."

Maria replied, "yes, it was only a short visit, I had been hoping to speak to the Reverend Mother and I was disappointed that she wasn't here."

"Yes, Reverend Mother is still absent, I do know how some of the young postulants are missing her counsel," Sister Margaretta paused for a moment. "Maria, is there something on your mind?"

Maria looked up at the nun, wondering whether it was that obvious that her mind was troubled. "Yes… no! I mean, why do you ask that?"

"Only that you have been gone from us for over a month and you haven't visited the Abbey at all in that time. The all of a sudden you come twice in one week, I just thought perhaps something had happened."

"Oh…" was all Maria could say. She dropped her eyes down to her hands.

"Are you unhappy with the von Trapps?" Sister Margaretta asked her gently.

"No, of course not," Maria answered quickly, looking back up at her. "That's not the problem, it's just… oh…" her voice trailed off and she placed her hands over her eyes, trying to find the words to express how she was feeling.

The nun looked at Maria with concern and softly placed her hand on her shoulder. "Maria, while I know I'm not the Reverend Mother, you can talk to me, confide in me if you wish."

Maria took a deep breath. "I am happy there, very happy in fact. The children, while there are so many of them, are kind and enjoyable to be around. But you're right, something _has_ happened, something unexpected. Or maybe I should say, someone... I never expected to feel like this about someone… " Maria paused, lost for words.

"I see," the nun smiled at her, putting the pieces together in her mind. "Am I right to assume you're referring to Captain von Trapp?" Maria nodded, looking down at her hands again.

"Are you developing feelings for him?" the nun asked her gently. Maria nodded again. "And, may I ask are your feelings returned?"

Maria raised her head to look Sister Margaretta in the eye. "Yes, but it's complicated," Maria admitted, tears coming to her eyes.

"Love usually is," the Sister gave a little laugh before seeing how upset Maria looked. "Oh my dear," the nun placed her arm around Maria, hugging her close for a moment before releasing her. Maria then told Sister Margaretta briefly about the Baroness and how Georg had ended his relationship with her, and how he'd told Maria that he wanted to court her.

Sister Margaretta smiled when she heard this. "Maria, it sounds as though the Captain certainly does care for you deeply. But I sense while you know this, something else is troubling you."

Maria thought for a moment before speaking. How could she tell the nun about Georg's kisses and embraces? How could she tell her how his passionate kisses left her breathless, or how the way he ran his hands all over her body made her feel exhilarated with unrelenting desire for him? No, Maria knew that she couldn't tell Sister Margaretta that. Instead, she decided to ask her about the other thing that had been troubling her.

"Yes Sister, there is something I would like advice about." Maria took a deep breath. "You see, I had always wanted to pledge my life to God and live in His service. When the Reverend Mother sent me out into the world knowing what she expected from me, she wanted me to find out whether I could expect this from myself, and to look for the life I was born to live. All my life, I'd thought I wanted to become a nun but now I've found myself falling in love with this man. Oh Sister Margaretta, I feel so confused right now, I don't know what to do!" Maria placed her face in her hands again, shaking her head.

"There is nothing wrong with loving a man, especially if he returns that love," Sister Margaretta told her.

"But I'd pledged my life to the Lord's service," Maria started to protest.

"Maria, just because you love this man doesn't mean you love God less. If love is in your heart, you should follow that love." Sister Margaretta took Maria's hand and gave it a squeeze. "God has made the love between a man and a woman holy too."

Maria looked at her, slightly confused at the meaning behind her words. The nun looked like she wanted to say something else to her, but instead, she picked up one of the Bibles from the pew in front of them and opened it. She flicked through it until she found the page she wanted. Sister Margaretta placed the book in Maria's hands. "The Lord will always guide you when you need it."

At that, the nun stood up and gave Maria a final smile. "Goodbye Maria, it has been good to see you again." Sister Margaretta then joined the rest of the nuns who had started to file past out of the chapel as the morning prayers had just finished. Soon the chapel was empty.

Maria looked down at the Bible lying open in her lap. Picking it up, she frowned to herself. It was open to the book "Song of Soloman." Maria knew of that book of the Bible but never in her life had she read it. She wondered why Sister Margaretta specifically wanted her to read it, but as she began to read, the reason became clear.

'_Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is more delightful than wine.'_

Maria's breath caught in her throat as she read these words, for it was almost like the passage was describing how Georg kissed her. As Maria read the beautiful poetry, she was amazed to learn that the book was all about love. Verse after verse described a love that was created by God as a gift, a pure and holy love between a man and a woman. The love described was sexual and passionate, like a fire burning strongly. But also the love shared between the man and woman was loyal and faithful, trustworthy and giving, requiring respect and total commitment to one another.

As she continued reading, Maria was surprised to find so many things that reminded her of Georg.

'_In my bed at night I sought the one I love; I sought him, but did not find him.'_

Maria remembered her dreams about Georg and how thoughts of him invaded her subconscious every night, how she wanted and longed for him, yet he wasn't there.

'_... You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes...'_

Maria thought of Georg's eyes, his deep blue eyes. How at one moment his blue eyes would become wild like a stormy sea when he was angry, but yet soften and sparkle when he laughed. She thought of the intense, piercing gaze he would give her when he was just about to kiss her and how every time she looked into those cerulean orbs, she would find herself lost in them, almost unable to breath. Yes, he had certainly captured her with one glance of his eyes.

'_My love is fit and strong, notable among ten thousand. His head is purest gold. His hair is wavy and black as a raven.'_

Maria laughed to herself as she read this next bit, as the description of the man in the passage fitted Georg almost perfectly. Quickly Maria continued to read through the book. Finally finishing it, she let out a deep sigh as she closed the Bible and returned it to the pew in front of her.

She leant back in her seat and closed her eyes. Maria now understood what Sister Margaretta had meant by that love between a man and a woman was holy.

Just as the final passages had said, _'__Mighty waters cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot sweep it away...'_, Maria knew there was no way to stop it. She could just as well try to stop a wave crashing down on the sand as to stop the way she felt about Georg. For the one thing she was certain of, more than anything else in her life, was that she was in love with Georg. She loved him with everything she was, with her whole heart, her body and soul. She yearned to be with him, and give herself fully to him.

Now all she wanted to do was to go home to the villa and tell him.

XxXxXx

When Max returned to the villa, he retrieved the glasses from his room, and went directly to Georg's study. He didn't know quite what he would say; he'd been prepared to simply remind Georg of the pitfalls of bedding the help. But after his encounter with Maria this morning, and the their short conversation, Max was more tempted to warn him against hurting the young woman.

Then, there was Elsa. Max had set them up because they seemed suited to one another, both having lost their spouses. Of course, there was that delightful, enormous, inheritance Elsa had received when her husband died. If they married and invested their combined names and fortunes into sponsoring Max's entertainers, why there was no telling what sort of success that could generate.

Entering the study, Max saw Georg standing at the window facing the side gardens and lawn. A quick glance told him that the Captain was watching his children running through the grass, playing some sort of game. And the perfect opening to their conversation occurred to Max.

"Something their lovely young governess taught them?"

Georg turned and looked at Max, his face momentarily clouded with confusion. "What?-oh, the children. Yes, I suppose it is a game that, ah, Fraulein Maria taught them." He turned back to the window.

Max walked toward Georg's desk, perched on the side of it, and crossed his arms, keeping the two glasses hidden. He simply sat and waited for Georg to notice he was still there. It took several minutes, but he finally turned back into the room. He frowned when he saw Max waiting patiently.

"Was there something you wanted, Max?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Max replied, and he pulled the champagne flutes into view, and set them carefully upon the mahogany desk top.

Ever the naval captain, Georg remained calm. "Champagne, Max? What are we celebrating?"

"I was hoping you'd tell me. I thought I'd ask Fraulein Maria herself when I drove her to the Abbey this morning, but I didn't have the heart to put her on the spot that way." Max looked pointedly at his friend.

"You drove Maria to the Abbey? Why?"

"Well, she was intent on going, and I ran into her on the way to your room-"

"On the way to my room? What makes you think that?" Anyone who didn't know better would think Georg was brilliant at masking his agitation. Max knew better.

"Just an observation. She claimed she was leaving a note for the children, but she was well past the door to the nursery when I saw her."

Georg looked away. "She has full run of the house, Max, you know that."

"I do, I just wasn't aware that meant your bedroom as well."

"Max!" Georg exploded, turning back to glare at the impresario. "You know me better than that!"

"I thought I did, now I'm not so sure. Anyway, you've changed the subject. Tell me why I found those glasses out on the balcony? And don't try to deny her being there, her shoes were there as well." Max walked over to the window, and once next to his friend, spoke in a gentler voice. "Do I need to remind you that bedding the help isn't recommended? Especially when you have all but officially proposed to Elsa? And this one a nun, to boot."

Georg sighed, and ran his hand across his face. "She isn't a nun. She hasn't taken her vows."

"A mere technicality." Max paused. "What's going on? Does this have to do with the night you spent in the car?"

"Not directly, no," Georg answered honestly. "I'll give you the short version: I realized I am very…...drawn…..to Maria. And things with Elsa will... well, they'll never be right. I told her before she returned to Vienna that I wished to end our relationship."

"But isn't she planning to return, for the party?" Now Max was confused.

"She was, but now I don't know what she's planning. She hasn't taken any of my calls since she left Salzburg." Georg walked over and sat down. "She wouldn't agree to our parting company, said I shouldn't be hasty."

Max could see the turmoil swirling in Georg's mind. This was a bigger issue than he'd assumed.

"So, where does that leave Maria?" he said gently. "Don't hurt her, Georg."

"I have no intention of hurting her. I..." _I love her_ was what he wanted to say. But he wished to say it to Maria first. "I've expressed my desire of a proper courtship, and she's accepted." He looked once more at Max. "And I can't do that until I make a clean break with Elsa."

He rose and headed to the door. His hand on the knob, he turned back. "I'm driving to Vienna to see Elsa now. This can't go on any longer. When I return, I will let Maria know."

Max watched open-mouthed as his friend strode purposefully out of the room. He blinked several times before quickly following after him. "Georg, wait. I'm coming with you."


	6. Chapter 6

Maria hopped off the bus prepared to walk the rest of the way to the villa, but she felt as if she were floating on air the entire length of the lane, through the gate, and into the house. Her talk with Sister Margaretta-and reading the scripture the older nun had pointed out to her-had lightened her heart. She knew now that her feelings for Georg were not wrong. That their love, although the word was yet unspoken, was real and true and even holy.

She was returning later than she'd expected, and went to the kitchen to ask Frau Schmidt when lunch would be. She was hoping to speak with Georg before the afternoon meal.

"Good afternoon, Frau Schmidt. Will lunch be at the usual time? I'm sorry it took me longer at the abbey than I thought," she asked, finally stopping to breathe.

"It seems you had a very good visit, my dear. Yes, lunch is at the regular time. The children are outside, they'll be in to wash up in a few minutes."

"Thank you." Maria took another deep breath, trying to sound nonchalant. "You wouldn't know where the Captain might be, would you?"

"He left a little while ago with Herr Dettweiler for Vienna."

Maria felt her mouth go dry and the air leave her lungs.

"Vienna?"

"Yes, Vienna. It seemed as if something came up rather suddenly." The housekeeper gathered the lunch plates and left to set the table.

The governess' mind was racing with what could possibly have caused him to go to Vienna. Had Baroness Schraeder called? Had he changed his mind? Perhaps her own hasty exit the night before had prompted him to realize Maria wasn't the one he truly wanted. Her heart sank.

The voices of the children interrupted her thoughts, and she ran her hands through her hair in an effort to calm herself. She couldn't let the children see her distress; they would ask her what was wrong and she….what could she possibly tell them? _I'm sorry, children, I can't play tag, I love your father and he's….he's…. _Maria slammed the lid down on that thought. She simply couldn't think about it until he returned.

"Fraulein Maria, you're back!" several girls exclaimed at once, as Liesl and Friedrich brought everyone in to wash up for the afternoon meal.

"Oh, good, here you are. Frau Schmidt had asked me to get you, lunch is almost ready," Maria stated.

"Did you have a nice visit at the abbey?" Liesl asked.

"Yes, I did, thank you. How did you children manage this morning?"

"We got all of our work done early, that's why we were outside," Friedrich answered. "We all were hoping that this afternoon we could take a long ride on the bicycles?"

Maria was relieved at the request. "I think that sounds delightful, Friedrich. Of course we can," she agreed, and the rest of the children voiced their excitement over the idea.

After a lunch of soup, sandwiches and cookies, Maria and the von Trapp children got the bicycles out and spent the next couple of hours riding through the winding roads of the Aigen countryside. Occasionally, Maria's thoughts drifted to Georg; _why had he gone, when would he return, what would happen when he did?_ Just as often, she'd remember words of affection whispered when no one was looking; the feel of his his lips grazing her neck; the emotion in his dazzling blue eyes when they share a look across the table. Those were the thoughts that sustained her through the long afternoon.

Her worries began again when dinner came and went, with still no sign of Georg. Maria busied herself supervising Marta and Gretl's baths, helped Brigitta with the poem she was trying to memorize, and settling an argument between the boys over a card game. At last, it was time to tuck them all in for the night. Stories, lullabies, and drinks of water stretched things out longer than usual, and by the time Maria was done she was exhausted. On her way out of the children's wing, she made one last stop at Liesl's room.

"Liesl? Not too late, dear, it's been a long day," Maria sighed.

"I'll just finish this chapter, Fraulein, and then I'll turn in," Liesl replied. "Good night."

"Good night, Liesl." Maria closed the door behind her, went to her own room, and turned on the water to warm for a shower. It had indeed been a long day, and quite tiring both from the physical activity and from her mental gymnastics. Stepping out of her clothes and under the steaming spray, she felt her muscles unwinding and her mind becoming quieter.

She dried off and put on a fresh nightdress; it had been unusually warm the last few weeks, and this gown Maria had refashioned from a floor-length, long-sleeved, high necked one to an above-the-knee, sleeveless, scoop-necked version. It was far more comfortable, and that had taken precedence here, over the required modesty at the abbey. Besides, it was always cold in the great stone convent. Out here in Aigen, her room would get very warm due to its Western exposure and the setting sun. Tonight was one of those nights, despite the sun having set several hours ago.

Walking toward the window that faced the drive, Maria sighed. Where was Georg? Why wasn't he back yet? For that matter, how long would he be gone? She didn't know how long she sat, staring out the window, but when she began to nod off she headed toward her bed.

Before climbing beneath the sheet, she knelt and said her prayers. The last thought she had before drifting off to sleep was wishing she hadn't run away from him the night before.

_She could hear music playing from somewhere off in the distance. The swell of the music was overtaking her senses. It was crowded in the ballroom; many couples were waltzing past her. She was looking for him, searching everywhere, but not finding him._

_Suddenly the crowd parted and she saw him. Georg! Handsomely dressed in his tuxedo, his medal proudly pinned to his chest. Across the room, his eyes locked with hers, his gaze was deep and intense. She saw him mouth a single word: "Maria…" Her heart leapt with joy and she began moving towards him._

_Without warning, the crowd closed in around her. Georg disappeared! She strained her neck above the crowd, trying to see where he'd gone to, and she saw him again but farther away. She tried to move quickly but her legs felt heavy. Again and again she tried to push through the crowd to get to him but each time she moved, he became further and further away._

_The crowd had disappeared. Maria heard a joyful laugh somewhere behind her. She turned around to see the Baroness, beautiful and elegant wearing a perfectly fitted ivory dress. The Baroness reached out her hand as a handsome man swept her into a grand waltz. The man turned, it was Georg! The Baroness spun her head in Maria's direction, an expression of triumph on her face as Georg pulled her into a tight embrace and began to kiss her passionately. Maria tried calling out his name to stop him…_

"Georg!" Maria cried out sitting bolt upright in bed, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.

Oh the vision had seemed so real - Georg moving away from her and into the arms of the Baroness. _Was that what was happening now? _No, she told herself, it couldn't be true. Yet Georg had left in such a hurry to go to Vienna to see the Baroness that maybe it was... Maria shook her head, she had so many thoughts racing through her mind all at once.

She quickly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. Feeling somewhat better, she came back into the bedroom and was just about to switch off the bathroom light when something on the other side of the room caught her eye. On the far table propped next to her Bible was an envelope. She wondered why she hadn't seen in earlier when she was getting ready for bed.

Turning on the nearby lamp, Maria walked over the other side of the room and picked up the envelope. Written on the front in Georg's elegant handwriting was her name. Closing her eyes for a brief moment and taking a deep breath, Maria opened the envelope and took out the letter. She sat down on the edge of the bed to read it.

_Dearest Maria,_

_I do apologize that I was unable to wait to speak to you in person, but it was essential that I go to Vienna immediately. Since Elsa has been refusing my telephone calls, I need to go and speak to her face to face to finally put an end to my relationship with her. It is you who have stolen my heart, Maria, and you to whom I will return as soon as possible. I long to hold you in my arms again._

_Affectionately yours, _

_Georg_

Maria replaced the letter back in the envelope and closed her eyes again, offering a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord. The letter had eliminated any doubts she'd been feeling about Georg's affections for her.

Maria had felt shaken at the idea that perhaps Georg had changed his mind about her, but now knowing that wasn't the case, she was elated at the thought of Georg rushing back to her and taking her in his arms again. She yearned to feel his body against hers, to have him kiss her, touch her, hold her. She wanted desperately to be close to him… But when was he returning? He said he'd be back as soon as possible, but how long would that take? Maria suddenly wondered whether he was back already.

Almost without a thought, Maria hopped off the bed and ran out of her room to find out, not even pausing to grab her robe or slippers. The house was dark but she quickly made her way through the many corridors from her room down past the nursery to the hallway leading to the master suite. As she approached the door, she began to feel a little nervous about going to Georg's suite. Her heart racing somewhat, she took a deep breath and knocked gently on the door. She waited a few seconds then tried again before it was obvious he hadn't returned yet.

Maria was about to turn and return to her room when a thought came to her. She'd always wanted to know what the master suite looked like. She did have quite a curious side to her and she wondered whether Georg had left his suite unlocked. Tentatively, Maria tried twisting the door handle and to her surprise, the door was unlocked and swung open with a gentle push.

Maria entered the suite and closed the door quietly behind her. The room was only dimly lit by a lamp left burning in the corner of the room but Maria couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the master suite in front of her. Thick, plush carpets in tones of light grey and beige, dark navy curtains hung on the windows and several classical paintings adorned the walls. On one side of the room was a fireplace with a large comfortable sofa and armchair placed in front. In the center of the room was the largest bed Maria had ever seen. A four-poster bed made of dark mahogany wood with light, sheer canopy curtains up top. The sight took her breath away.

Maria took a moment to take it all in. She wandered around the large room slowly looking at every detail. She quickly poked her head into the ensuite bathroom before entering the large walk-in-robe. Racks and racks of shirts and suits of all colours hung in the robe, charcoal, navy blue, dark green, grey. All the suits she'd seen him wear previously. She ran her hand over the soft woollen jackets before wandering back out into the main room. She crossed over to the other side of the room past the large four-poster canopy bed to the double doors leading out onto the balcony terrace. She opened them and walked out onto the balcony, the tiles were refreshingly cool beneath her bare feet. The night had brought a cool change and the gentle wind blowing made her bare arms feel cold. She rubbed them up and down as she walked to the edge of the balcony to observe the view. As she was cold, she stayed there only moments before walking back into the suite, now regretting that she hadn't brought her robe with her.

As she entered the suite, she spied Georg's brown velvet smoking jacket tossed onto the nearby armchair. She remembered the night he wore it, when he caught the children out of bed during the thunderstorm. Smiling to herself she picked it up. She could faintly detect the lingering smell of his cologne. On impulse, Maria put the jacket on and was surprised to find how warm and comforting it felt, almost like Georg himself had his arms around her.

It felt nice and soothing to be in Georg's suite, even though he wasn't there. Still wearing his jacket, she went and sat down on the bed, which had already been turned down for the night. She sat there for several minutes before she found herself starting to yawn. _Just for a few moments,_ she thought to herself. Propping herself up against one of the fluffy pillows, soon she felt her eyelids start to droop.

XxXxXx

Georg turned the car onto the tree-lined lane leading to number 53 Aigen. It had been an exceedingly long day, and he wanted nothing more than to get home. The drive to Vienna had taken several hours, and then the interminable wait for Elsa to make her way downstairs to speak with him. Their conversation turned disagreement turned argument had tested his patience, but not his resolve. After Elsa's insulting and infuriating suggestion that he simply satisfy his physical attraction to Maria in order to 'get over' her, he had finally brought the entire thing to a close. He refrained from throttling her, though just barely; it was the shouting that finally brought Max to the room, and Georg informed Elsa he wished never to speak or see her again before stalking out.

His desire to end things with class and civility thwarted, he had steamed and stewed in his anger for the first hour or so of the drive. Then he puzzled over why he was so angry, when he had achieved his goal; he was now free to court Maria with no guilt on either of their parts. The thought of Maria brought a smile to his lips and lightened his mood for the rest of the drive.

He pulled through the gates and saw the villa completely dark inside, so placed the car in the garage himself. Quietly he entered the mansion, locked the door behind him, and began loosening his tie as he climbed up the stairs to his rooms. He glanced over at the corridor to the other wing, wishing Maria was still awake. That they could now fully belong to one another wouldn't seem real until he could see her, hold her, kiss her, tell her how much he loved and wanted her.

Entering his suite of rooms, he tossed his tie, then his hat and jacket, on the chair on his way to the bathroom, then stripped down to his undershorts. It had been such a hot day, and it felt good to feel the now cool night air on his skin. As he approached the bed, thoughts of meeting Maria in his dreams filled his head. He couldn't wait to see her in the morning.

He was astonished to find that he wasn't going to have to wait.


	7. Chapter 7

**Under the Cover of Darkness Chapter 7**

Georg switched on the lamp on the bedside table, certain that what he thought he was seeing was a trick of his imagination. But in the dim light, he found that Maria was indeed real, and here, asleep in his bed.

He simply watched her for a few minutes, wondering how and why she wound up here, wearing his jacket. It didn't seem a peaceful slumber, her brow furrowed and her hands clenched. Georg reached out his hand to gently smooth her hair back from her face, then ran a finger down her jaw.

She began to stir, soft sighs escaping from her throat as she opened her eyes slowly, guarding against the lamplight. Georg watched as recognition changed her expression, and she smiled the sweetest smile he thought he'd ever seen. At that moment, he couldn't imagine a more beautiful sight.

"Georg, are you really here?" The slight tremble in her voice gave away her fear that this was another dream, and he gladly reassured her.

"Yes, my love, I'm really here. I am so sorry I left without telling you, I hoped my note would be sufficient," he whispered. He took one of her hands in both of his, gently unfolding her fist and stroking her palm; then repeating with the other hand, before lifting them both and kissing each one.

"It was, except I didn't find it until after I'd gone to sleep, and woke because of a horrible dream," she told him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. Maria nodded, and removed her hands from his to push herself a bit more upright. As he watched, her eyes grew wide and she bit her lip, before meeting his gaze again. He realized he was sitting next to her in nothing but his shorts, and a microsecond later that it probably wasn't the best idea to stay that way.

"Hold on, let me get my robe," he said as he stood to go toward the wardrobe.

"No, don't go away," she murmured. She was so completely alluring, he knew he should, but instead he found himself moving up onto the bed beside her. Lifting his arm around her shoulders, he sighed contentedly as Maria nestled close to his side. He also was very glad she was wearing his smoking jacket as at least a slight barrier between them.

"So, about your dream?" The softness of her hair on his cheek, and the feminine scent of her was already distracting him.

"It was awful. There we were at the party, here, and I could see you but couldn't get to you. Too many people were in the way, and then I lost sight of you. When I found you, you had the Baroness in your arms, waltzing and kissing, and she saw me and laughed as you both continue to dance," she recounted, as she nuzzled closer to Georg, and moved her arm to embrace him.

"Is that why you came to my room?" he asked, stroking her back through the brown velvet.

"Sort of. The dream woke me, and then I found the note. That eased my mind, but I couldn't help wondering if you'd arrived home yet, so I came looking for you."

He leant down to kiss her forehead. "I'm glad you did. I wasn't sure I'd be able to wait until morning to see you."

"How was your trip?" Maria was almost afraid to ask, but equally afraid not to.

"Long, and frustrating, and ugly." He paused. "But there can be no doubt for anyone that my relationship with her is over." He lifted Maria's chin, so his eyes could meet hers. "And now, we can be together, Maria. There will be no more staying out of sight, under the cover of darkness. I want to have you on my arm, by my side." He punctuated the statement with a soft kiss, before speaking again.

"I love you, Maria."

He touched his lips to hers again, feather-light at first, then more strongly. Georg felt Maria gently probe his mouth with her tongue, which drove him mad with desire for her. After a few more delicious moments spent that way, they parted, the question swirling in Maria's mind finding its way out of her mouth.

"Oh, can this be happening to me?"

This time Georg held her with both arms before answering. "Yes, darling. I love you, and I wish to marry you. Will you please consent to be my wife?"

His question took her breath away. For a moment Maria wasn't sure that she'd heard him correctly, but the earnest, sincere expression on Georg's face, matched with a look of total and utter adoration in his eyes told her that every word he spoke was the truth. If it seemed like she hesitated for a moment before responding, it was only because she was so overwhelmed by emotion, her answer forming on her lips an instant later.

"Yes… oh yes!" Maria gasped as Georg drew her into his arms and kissed her again. The soft tenderness of their previous kisses was gone, now replaced by kisses of a much more urgent nature. Their breathing became ragged, with small moans of pleasure escaping their lips as they hungrily devoured each other with passionate kisses.

Finally, breathless they pulled apart and Maria smiled and looked into his eyes with love. She cupped his cheek with her hand. "Georg, I love you too," she whispered.

Georg smiled at her, before giving her a final gentle kiss. He felt relieved and also an overwhelming sense of happiness because she loved him in return and also she'd consented to marry him. He let out a deep, contented sigh as he grabbed one of the nearby pillows to be more comfortable as he half sat, half lay back on the bed while Maria snuggled in close to him once more.

They lay there in each other's arms in contented silence for the next few minutes, Maria slowly stroking his bare chest, tracing lazy circles with her fingertips. Finally Maria spoke. "So when did you want to tell the children, about us, our engagement?"

"Hmm? We can tell them as soon as you like, in the morning if that's your wish. I was only hoping that perhaps… well the party is in just a couple of days. Perhaps we can tell them then as a surprise."

"The party? You mean it's still going ahead?" Maria sat up so she could look at him better. "I thought that now with the Baroness gone…"

"You thought I'd cancel the party?" Maria nodded. "Believe me Maria, that _was _the intention. I wanted to and had planned to put an end to all these shenanigans. But Max put up a very good argument to still go ahead with it during the car trip to Vienna. The party _has_ all been organised and paid for, the invitations sent out and not to mention how excited the children all are about it, it really would be a shame to cancel it now."

Georg paused. "But there was another reason I wanted to still go ahead with it." Maria looked at him inquisitively. "You. Nothing would make me prouder than to announce our engagement at the party and introduce you to all my friends and associates as my fiancée."

Maria gave a little cry of joy as she melted back into his arms, searching for his lips with hers. Their lips moved together in a sensuous rhythm, slowly parting allowing their tongues to touch as their kisses deepened in intensity and passion. Georg moved his hands from her face, through her hair and down her back as they kissed. He desired to feel her soft body underneath his hands but became increasingly frustrated because he couldn't, as Maria was still wearing his thick smoking jacket. He let out a groan as they pulled out of their kiss.

"Is there anything the matter?" Maria asked.

"No, nothing's the matter except that damn jacket of mine you're wearing, it keeps preventing me from holding you properly," he chuckled. "Actually why _are_ you wearing my jacket?" he asked as an afterthought.

"I was cold. I'd gone out onto your balcony and I'd left my robe in my room. Wearing it somehow made me feel closer to you while you were gone. Silly really," she shrugged. "I'm not cold now. I can take it off if you like."

Before Georg could protest, Maria had taken off the jacket and discarded it down the other end of the bed. He now was able to take in her appearance fully – her thin, sleeveless cotton nightgown, the plunging scooped neckline, the way the nightgown stopped just above her knee. He couldn't help but cast his eyes down from the hemline to her shapely legs stretched out on the bed in front of her, all the way down to her bare feet. She almost seemed oblivious to the effect she was having on him. Every kiss they'd shared that night tested Georg's willpower not to push her back on the bed and ravish her immediately. As her soft skin brushed against his, as he felt her warm breath on his cheek, he could feel every inch of his body starting to become aroused by her presence.

_Oh God,_ Georg thought. He had to come up with some way of distracting himself from how alluring she was and how much he wanted her before he lost control. He suddenly remembered Maria's visit to the Abbey that day.

She snuggled back down into his arms before casually draping her smooth leg over his, causing him to feel even more aroused than before. "Maria?" he asked trying to divert his thoughts from what she was doing to him. "You went to the Abbey this morning?"

"Yes, I did," she replied. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was going. I wanted to, but I ran into Herr… I mean Max, before I had the chance."

"Yes, he told me." Maria nodded. Georg continued, slightly hesitantly. "So, did you have a good visit?"

"I did." She sat up and perched up on her knees so she could look directly at him. She bit down on her lip as she started to speak. "Last night when I left you, I felt so confused about things between us, how quickly things were moving in our relationship and how I felt about you. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have run away from you like that." Georg picked up her hand and gave it a kiss in understanding as she continued. "But at the Abbey, I spoke to one of the Sisters. She gave me some advice about love…"

Georg laughed. "Advice about love from a nun?"

Maria let out a giggle too. "I know, it's hard to believe. But the things she told me, the things she showed me made me realise that God made the love between a man and a woman holy. What was happening between us is not wrong, and I realised how much I love you, how much I want you…" her voice dropped, her tone now slightly husky. Maria's heart began to thump wildly in her chest and she felt a deep throbbing between her legs as she tried to muster up the courage to tell Georg exactly how she felt, exactly what she wanted. She dropped her eyes down, unable to keep looking at him as she continued, her voice barely a whisper. "… and how much I want to _be_ with you, in every way." She then looked up to meet his gaze. He was looking back at her intensely, giving her a smouldering look, full of the passion and desire he felt for her.

Without breaking eye contact with her, Georg sat up and knelt next to her. He reached out his hand and slowly ran one finger down her bare arm. His touch was like electricity sending shivers down her spine. She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes as his hand wandered from her arm to lightly brush over her breasts before moving up to her face. Georg gently lifted her chin with one finger and gazed into her eyes when she opened them. He almost couldn't believe what she was telling him, that she wanted him to make love to her now. He wanted to ask whether she was certain, whether she was sure… for he knew once he kissed her again this time, there would be no going back, there would be no stopping. She was so completely irresistible. He wanted her, to be with her more than words could describe.

Maria could tell what he was about to ask, but she _was_ sure. They were to be married, she loved him, she trusted him. Just as Georg opened his mouth to speak, Maria surprised him by answering his unspoken question by throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him so intensely that he almost fell backwards onto the bed. He caught her in his arms and kissed her back with equal fervor.

They clung tightly to each other in their embrace as they kissed passionately. Georg moved his kisses down her neck, licking and sucking gently on her skin. He caressed her breasts through her thin nightgown, but soon found that it wasn't enough - he wanted to feel her, have her skin next to his. He took hold of her arms and raised them up over her head. After waiting for a second for Maria to nod in confirmation, he grasped the hem of her nightgown and pulled it up over her head in one smooth movement before casting it aside.

He looked her up and down, taking in the beauty of her body, now exposed to him. His eyes made their way back up to hers, her expression seeking his reaction. Bringing both his hands up, he threaded his fingers through her hair; the soft, golden strands flowing easily as he tilted her to the proper angle and placed his lips on hers.

Continuing to taste the sweetness of her mouth, Georg used one hand to slowly stroke Maria's silken skin from her neck to her hip, his fingers toying with the edge of the panties she still wore. Sliding his hand beneath the tissue-thin fabric, he cupped her bottom, balancing her as he carefully lay her on her back on the cool, crisp sheet. Removing the small piece of cloth hiding the entrance to her womanhood, he let his fingers play across the moist, warm door. _Slow down, man, don't rush her._

Maria held him tighter, and began moving her own mouth down across his unshaven cheek, the roughness against her sensitive lips causing her to lick them; the feel of her tongue on Georg's jaw eliciting a low growl from deep within his chest. She began running her hands through his thick, dark hair, as he moved to bring his mouth to the soft mound of her breast. As he licked and sucked the soft, pink tip grew hard and pointed; Maria arched against him, pulling his head even closer.

_Now,_ he thought, as his fingers stroked their way to the softness between her legs. Georg took his time, gently preparing her for what was to come. He knew Maria's first time wouldn't be without discomfort, and yet he wished it to be as pleasant as possible for her. Feeling her growing warmer and wetter with each movement, he kept touching and teasing until she grabbed his hand, pressing him deeper.

Knowing that the time was now right, he removed his hand, and took Maria's, placing her palm on the bulge barely contained by the shorts he was still wearing. She took the hint, and pulled the silk down as far as she could reach, Georg removing them the rest of the way himself. Feeling his rock-hard arousal against her hip, she took it in her hand again, and for the second time that night her fiancé growled his approval.

Maria instinctively brought her legs apart, bending her knees to make their union as easy as possible. If she'd been aware, the way her body knew what to do would have amazed her. But all she knew was that she wanted Georg, _needed_ him, _now_. He knelt between her legs, kissed her deeply, as he guided himself slowly into her. His heart clenched when he felt her flinch, and he whispered loving words to her until he felt her relax.

She had closed her eyes when he'd entered her but opened them again once she heard him urgently whisper her name. She locked her gaze with his as he began to move slowly and gently inside her. His eyes were the deepest blue, his stare intense, full of passion and desire. She found herself completely mesmerized, lost in his eyes as the world around them disappeared. Unable to tear her eyes away from his, it was a moment of complete intimacy: a connection between them of mind, body and spirit. Georg continued moving slowly inside her and her body instinctively matched his rhythm; the sensation more pleasurable with every thrust. So entranced in what he was doing to her, Maria was only mildly aware of the sounds of their rapid and ragged breathing filling the room as they made love. Gradually Georg increased the pace of their lovemaking until he could hold back no more, spilling into her as he cried out her name.

Georg rolled onto his back, taking her with him and pulled her into a loving embrace. Heart racing and still breathing deeply, he kissed her temple before lifting her chin and gazing into her eyes. He kissed her deeply: it was a kiss that was tender, sensual and told of all the love that they'd just expressed for each other.

"I love you Maria," he whispered as they parted.

Not taking her eyes off him, "I love you too," she replied.

They lay contentedly holding each other for the longest time, enjoying the afterglow of their lovemaking. Georg pulled the covers up over them as they cuddled closely together. He gently ran his hand up and down her arm while Maria ran her fingers through the hair on his chest. Finally Maria spoke. "I never thought it would feel like this," she murmured.

"Oh?" Georg replied craning his neck to look at her, suddenly concerned that perhaps he'd hurt her or perhaps she was having regrets.

"Oh nothing bad," she gave a low laugh and reached up to direct his face towards hers so she could give him a reassuring kiss. "No, I mean I never knew it would feel so passionate, so intense, but yet so intimate, so loving, so wonderful…" She paused, "is it always like this?"

Georg reached down to kiss her again. "Between two people who love each other so completely? … Yes, it is always like this."

Maria smiled and contentedly snuggled back into his arms enjoying the sensation of Georg nuzzling and kissing her neck gently. Far away in the distance they heard grandfather clock from the hallway chime three times.

"3 am," Maria remarked softy. She sighed as she shifted in his embrace so she could look down into his eyes. "Perhaps I should return to my room."

Georg nodded. "Yes, perhaps you should. But I don't want to let you go just yet. Stay with me Maria, stay all night."

Maria laughed. "And what about in the morning when my room is empty and the children find me in here with you?"

Georg wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him and giving her another kiss. "I'll make sure you get back to your room before the children wake, don't worry about that. But for now…" His voice dropped and she could feel his fingertips starting to run gently down her body. She felt her body starting to react to his touch, becoming aroused again as he caressed her breasts and kissed her neck.

"I need you…" he whispered in her ear.

Maria's heart began to race and she trembled in anticipation. "I'm yours," she cried breathlessly as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss and they began to make love for the second time that night.


End file.
